In His Name Devotionals
CAN BEING RIGHT EVER BE WRONG?
In His Name Devotionals
CAN BEING RIGHT EVER BE WRONG?
When one seriously considers the circumstances surrounding too many churches today (i.e., dictatorial elders & self-serving preachers, more interested in contribution & attendance rather than spiritually weak believers) perhaps it is not off base to suggest that the most tragic message we are communicating to this culture has been and is that one has to be right to be part of the Kingdom of God. After all, most of us probably attend a congregation made up of such elders, preachers, members, and leaders. One doesn’t have to go far to be made aware that the basic—primary— message some people who know our churches associate with us is “We’re right,” “You’re wrong”.
Truth is we have been both mistaken and misleading in our message. Historically we have preached the church, not Christ. We have modeled a people who “fight for the right” rather than a people who exhibit an environment that welcomes those who are not right (i.e., the lame, blind, divorced, addicted, and sinful).
The weakness that has plagued us is that we have not always received people where they are—the way Jesus received them. Why? Because when we are so busy trying to do everything “just right,” we can miss being with a wife, son, sister or neighbor in a timely way. We can miss the chance to be there when people really need us to be the presence of Christ.
Too cynical? Perhaps. But it’s not meant to be. It comes from the heart of one who loves the church; from one who has in times past been cared for by the church. It comes from one who has failed in the church and still felt love from the church. It is from a brother who is looking at Jesus seriously and who faces on a daily basis the poverty of soul he lives. But it also comes from one who faces a living, merciful God Who majors in loving those He knows are wrong.
We must somehow find our way back to the basics in order to restore the man, woman, child, church, community, and nation. We must listen again to Jesus explain who the “blessed” people are.
The first step to the Kingdom of God is not being right but admitting we are wrong in specific ways to those we know we have wronged.
How do we begin? First with God, then wife and children. Then comes brother, sister, father, mother, and so on. How long has it been since you looked in the face of your mate, brother, friend, or other important person in your life and said: “I’m wrong, and I’m really sorry”? When was the last time you heard your elder or preacher say, “I was wrong, and I’m really sorry?” Is it too painful? Can we ever learn to listen and not be defensive?
Once we discover that the first step to being right is being able to admit being wrong, we can finally hear and experience the words of Jesus: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.”
