I have been in many situations where I have heard different kinds of indictments raised against the “church.” From disappointed members to disillusioned pastors, there never seems to be a shortage of criticism available to be meted out at the Body of Christ.

Personally, I have come to realize that there is an inherent danger in this kind of activity. If we are not careful we will find ourselves being used as pawns as we assist in the carrying out of the ministry of the “accuser of the brethren,” and inadvertently destroying the edifice that is designed to house and reveal the glory of the One Who died to save it.

It is time that we equip ourselves with a revelation of the seriousness of this devious plot. Though it may appear to be based in a source of wisdom, it is counterproductive to the ministry of Jesus as He is still dedicated to the maturing of His Body here on the earth.

I will take the liberty of sharing a few observations that I believe will lend some insight and contribute to an increased clarity to this seemingly benign but destructive pattern of thought and action.

Not everyone has a complete reference of what the church is. Most criticism is born from isolated incidents and results in a generalizion that is perpetrated against an entire group of people when in reality it is usually due to an action of one or a few. I seriously doubt that anyone has a comprehensive knowledge of what the entire Body of Christ actually looks like, so to make a statement against “The Church” is quite bold and really unfounded.

Don’t tear down something you are a part of. This is complete foolishness! To use a biological illustration, the disease of cancer is actually composed of body cells that develop a mind of their own and begin to feed off of the rest of the body. The ultimate end is to either cut out the cancer or allow it to destroy the healthy cells. Stop criticisms before they defile others.

Grow up. Offences will come. Blaming someone else for your own lack of maturity is only going to keep you wounded and immature. Use painful situations to allow yourself an opportunity to grow instead of pulling everyone else down to your level. In Jesus’ model of construction, He will allow us to encounter certain trials in order to develop His character in us. Stop wasting your trials.

Offer solutions. If you have an inside track to a particular situation or weakness of the Body, dedicate yourself to help strengthen that weakness. Don’t run away and join yourself with a group of dissenters. Boldly stand for truth in the fruit of the Spirit so that everyone can benefit and learn from the situation. We desperately need problem-solvers with creative solutions who will sacrifice for the common good and advancement of the whole.

The Church is still being perfected! To condescend from a pedestal of hurt or self-righteousness is to assume that you have somehow risen to a place above everyone else. It is good to expect more and set high standards in every area, but never forget that we are all in process and daily learning how to live in grace. As we give grace to others, we are sowing the seeds for our own harvest which I guarantee we will need somewhere down the road.

Don’t let a critical spirit devour you from within. Identify it for what it is, and let God’s healing virtue restore you to a place where you can then be used to help restore others.

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