Organized Religion Is Spiritual Welfare

[Digging4Truth]

Originally Posted by ILG

Man, my husband could have written that! Really, it is a hard lesson to learn (for all of us). It's like the little red hen. They all gather for the bread when it's ready. Don't ask for help and don't tell anyone when the bread is ready. Cynical, I know....but it seems to work for me.....

I hope to master this soon.

[Digging4Truth]

The funny thing is that 8-10 years ago I had enough and I sat down. I never did anything for close to a decade. And then a year or so back I must have lost my mind... I dove in full steam ahead for some reason to the point that I pretty much do it all now.

Now I remember why I did nothing for so many years.

[pelathais]

My experience has been a bit different. There are always "parasites" - but for the most part, the people I have interacted with were mostly "symbionts" who gave as much as they received.

My biggest problems came from the "Well Intentioned Dragons." These people ruined more ministry opportunities and drove more people from the church than all other causes combined. They got excited about baptism in Jesus name from a Bible Study I gave and then would promptly go home and send their families to hell. Thanks guys, but I was hoping to win your family to Christ as well...

[Digging4Truth]

Originally Posted by pelathais

My experience has been a bit different. There are always "parasites" - but for the most part, the people I have interacted with were mostly "symbionts" who gave as much as they received.

My biggest problems came from the "Well Intentioned Dragons." These people ruined more ministry opportunities and drove more people from the church than all other causes combined. They got excited about baptism in Jesus name from a Bible Study I gave and then would promptly go home and send their families to hell. Thanks guys, but I was hoping to win your family to Christ as well...

Yep... there's no shortage.

[ILG]

Originally Posted by Dark Energy

I give to the Lord. My sight is not on what men do. I'm not giving for the personal accolades by men. I'm not giving expecting something in return other than my reward in heaven. Did anyone learn that lesson?

Thank you for that cheery message of self promotion.

[ILG]

Originally Posted by Digging4Truth

The funny thing is that 8-10 years ago I had enough and I sat down. I never did anything for close to a decade. And then a year or so back I must have lost my mind... I dove in full steam ahead for some reason to the point that I pretty much do it all now.

Now I remember why I did nothing for so many years.

Sounds like you had it mastered until you grew another "goodness" spurt.

[Sam]

If you are going to pray for God to use you......

you will wind up feeling used.

There's a quote something like that that I read somewhere and put on facebook at one time but I don't remember the source.

[ILG]

I don't like being "used".

[Phoenix]

If God wants what is best for us, and He is the one who has instituted ministry, shouldn't ministry be invigorating and not draining? I would think, and there is some experience speaking here, that doing the work that God has designed you for would be an experience that would fulfill you and leave you feeling better about yourself, your world, and most of all, God. And yes, this means the converse must also be true. If what you're doing is draining you and burning you out, IMO, that's not God's will for your life. Change direction because that isn't His plan for you. I do believe that organized religion as it is set up in most places in the US is not quite what He had in mind. I blame the extremely high rate of minister burn out on this.

[Dark Energy]

Originally Posted by ILG

Thank you for that cheery message of self promotion.

Woah. Why the personal attack? How did I promote myself anymore than you promoted yourself by your dreary message?