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.

[mizpeh]

They must have forgotten the exhortations to:

Rom 15:1 We then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to please ourselves.

Phil 2: 3-4 Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves. Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others.

Gal 5:13 For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another.

and so on....

[BreakingFree]

Excellent posts ladies. I can relate to being hurt by people's misuse of the Word. I have also seen my son hurt in this way. It is not easy to pull yourself out of it. It really isn't. Most never do.

[DividedThigh]

a minister who preached at our church a little over a year ago said it well, sometimes we spend more time in the church trying to make sinners out of the saints than helping the sinners become saints, good post lady rev, so true, dt

[RevDWW]

Too much killing in the name of religion, both physical and spiritual.

[DividedThigh]

Originally Posted by RevDWW

Too much killing in the name of religion, both physical and spiritual.

amen, very sad, dt

[BreakingFree]

Originally Posted by RevDWW

Too much killing in the name of religion, both physical and spiritual.

A big amen.

[RandyWayne]

Originally Posted by 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.

I have always noticed that it is, for the most part, the ultra conservative among us who are looking to be offended and looking to see how everyone else measures up.

Romans 14:21
21It is good neither to eat flesh, nor to drink wine, nor any thing whereby thy brother stumbleth, or is offended, or is made weak.

We know THESE are the weak ones who are apparently in danger of "stumbleth" because of those who have more liberty. Kind of like the school yard bully who is really a coward at heart.

[BreakingFree]

Originally Posted by RandyWayne

I have always noticed that it is, for the most part, the ultra conservative among us who are looking to be offended and looking to see how everyone else measures up.

Romans 14:21
21It is good neither to eat flesh, nor to drink wine, nor any thing whereby thy brother stumbleth, or is offended, or is made weak.

We know THESE are the weak ones who are apparently in danger of "stumbleth" because of those who have more liberty. Kind of like the school yard bully who is really a coward at heart.

Good point. Never thought of it that way!

[Rico]

When people see God as someone with a belt in His hand, ready to whip the daylights out them for every little infraction, then that is how they treat other people around them.