IMPATIENT WITH THE CHURCH?

It is one thing to be dissatisfied with the way the church is. It is quite another to be impatient. All through the years I have worked with some members who live frustrated with the rest of the church for its lack of vision and weak faith. As a matter of fact, I lived there often.

There is usually a trait that goes with every such person; they are just as off base as those whom they criticize; Romans 2:1-5 says so. This is a predictable pattern and those unhappy are seldom informed of being off base; they aren’t approachable to be informed because they assume an upper faith which they deem superior. I did.

I’ve been in classes and sermons where one railed because the members aren’t in the community and they aren’t at the hospitals, etc. It seems so odd to me to hear it because when I’m in the community and in the hospitals I never run into those doing the railing. Not so oddly, I’ve been one to deliver such messages. My mistake.

Personally, I believe the church needs to improve in so many meaningful and important fields. Such does not discourage me. It gives me a job. I’m glad several are not satisfied. But I’ve been found guilty of failure too many times to live impatiently with the church. Our people are productive in a multitude of areas.

For through the grace given to me I say to every man among you not to think more highly of himself than he out to think; but to think so as to have sound judgment, as God has allotted to each a measure of faith.

We must guard against impatience. Those who are impatient surely need to improve. The rest need to avoid becoming impatient with the impatient.