Wielding the Word as a Weapon - Against Our Own!

[LadyRev]

I am one very distressed youth pastor today.

I am perplexed and frustrated by adults that have little or no patience, tolerance, compassion, gentleness, or understanding towards teenagers.

I am also perplexed and frustrated by adults lacking the above towards other adults that don't "measure up" according to their personal expectations.

99.9% of my youth group members are from what we call "dysfunctional" homes. The ONLY exception to this is the pastor's son.

The adults that usually "don't measure up" to some other church members expectations are often the parents from these dysfunctional homes.

The Word of God is a weapon against our ENEMIES but these teenagers and adults are not our enemy.

So why do we so often wield the Word against our own? NOT wielded in LOVE but wielded as a weapon...to hurt, to inflict pain, to beat down, to try to force submission and compliance.

Instead of helping those which are weak and bearing one anothers burdens we are actually acting as if we are God's personal assassins under the guise of "hating every evil way". Except we aren't assassinating evil ways, we are assassinating PEOPLE. Assasinations are evidenced by discouraged, disgruntled, downtrodden teenagers and adults that leave our churches hurting and wounded. Crawling away to die spiritually all because someone just had to "wield their sword" and tell it like it is.

Imagine the impression this makes on the non-church going "family" members. The husbands, the wives, the siblings, the ex's, the steps, the live-ins, etc. What are the chances they will darken the doors of the church?

Just my distressed thoughts for the day.

And they say my youth group is dysfunctional? Lord help us.