No Family Is Perfect

(Galatians 6:1) “Brothers, if a person is caught doing something wrong, those of you who are spiritual should restore that person gently. Watch out for yourself so that you are not tempted as well.”

(1 Peter 4:8) “Above all, continue to love each other deeply, because love covers a multitude of sins.”

(Exodus 40:26-27) “He put the golden altar in the Tent of Meeting in front of the curtain and burned aromatic incense on it, just as the LORD had commanded Moses.”

Every family has its drama. You just can´t avoid it. Siblings that oppress each other, cousins who are always jealous, uncles and aunts that show off and belittle each other, the typical family fights that normally emerge during festive seasons, the uncle that usually gets a little too drunk during family reunions, the mother in law and daughter in law disagreement on the food served, the family that feels insulted for not having been invited to other family events, the member of the family that no matter what you do will definitely find something to complain about…etc.

Our church family is also full of people that are in the process of being renewed and healed from a past life in darkness. You will never find the perfect church because the church is for the sinners and not for saints. Christ came to save those that were lost and sick, not for the ones that were living right before God.

The Church, therefore, is a hospital for the spiritually sick. It is full of sinners, thieves, liars, adulterers, fornicators, and those who envy and are unable to love unconditionally. And if God brought you there, it’s because you also happen to be in need of help.

Therefore, instead of criticizing and finding the faults in your spiritual family, learn to help them and together grow towards the perfection Christ has promised us. Most of the epistles of the New Testament mention all the problems and filth that was within the early church and how to deal with them. There was jealousy, fornication, incest, lies, divisions, rebellion, many that quit or followed wrong doctrines, and favoritism towards certain leaders. Basically, it stunk, but it was far better than what was outside amongst the unbelievers.

It might not smell good where you have been placed to worship, but your prayers and your attitude can be the incense that God wants to burn to change the atmosphere in your church.

(“Noah did not sail on a luxurious cruise ship. Can you imagine spending one year in that ark with all those animals and only one window? But there were two options – the stink on the inside, or the storm on the outside! The point is, there are no perfect churches.”- Bob Gass)

The day you become a part of what you consider the perfect family, that day, that family will stop being perfect.

Prayers

• Heavenly Father, You are God who forgives us. Wonder working God. God who makes all things. God of my salvation. God our savior. God who is the health of my countenance. God of my exceeding joy, We praise You.
• Thank You that we are all a work in progress and we are all being perfected by Your Word.
• Forgive us for not having the compassion we need for those that are struggling with a character flaw.
• Forgive us for prejudging others in the church and letting their mannerisms affect our attitude.
• Forgive us for not understanding that the church is a spiritual hospital for those that need healing in their hearts and minds.
• We ask that we will have the heart to pray for those that offend us and that it will be a fragrance rising up to your throne of grace.
• Help us to be the ones that change the atmosphere in the church by being peacemakers, by giving love instead of hatred, and by believing that everyone can change.
• We pray for our church to be a place where the spiritually sick come and get healed because of the love we have for each other.
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• We ask in Jesus’ Mighty Name. Amen