kudos to the little sis...

this is all one big blog that my sister just posted...
i read it and i honestly don't think anyone could have said it better.
this is something that has been on my heart for SO long. and i feel like this is what the body of Christ needs RIGHT NOW.
so with no further adieu, here it is...





pedestal

yes...

I am about to be a major nerdy christian kid. I'm about to sound stupid to everyone, and contradict everything about "talking stupid christian talk" that I have ever said. But I realized today, if we don't talk stupid christian talk. Than nothing will ever get said. So here it is. Take it or leave it.

Before you read this understand I love church. It's great, it's needed and good. But I just want to say some things about it I have seen. Not because my parents say this. But because I have actually seen it for myself.



If you are going to pretend to be some great leader/pastor/example in the church, and in the world. Live a life that is about God and not about yourself.

If your relationship is less about you and more about going to church and being involved at church. You are missing something huge.

Church is not God. Church has nothing to do with your personal relationship with God. Church was meant to be a place you can go to fellowship with other believers, praising God together, learning about God together, showing each other the words God has given you, praying over each other, helping each other grow in God. And absolutely not about the pastor, leadership, staff, band, or anything else. Yes, they all work hard. But if they are actually working for God, they wont care about how hard the work is. The only thing we should care about is the product of what they did for God. Yes, going to church is huge, and good. But this is all getting out of hand. Don't tell me that was what church was in Paul's days, the world has changed so has the church. Yes, the world has changed... Yes, the church has changed... but it wasn't supposed to. I'm sick of people saying "I'm a christian! I'm at church 3 times a week, and I help with kids church, and I'm on the band" or whatever. Blah blah blah. I don't want to hear about that. None of it matters in the end. What matters is how well do you know God, how often do you actually talk to him, and study the word, how often do you practice speaking and living the right way. I'm not saying being involved is bad AT ALL, it's great! Many people just let it become part of thier relationship with God, and thats not what it's about. We sing these songs at church, and you can look around and see who actually understands what it's saying beucase they have had a first hand experience with God's amazing love. You can tell who just memorized the song and who believes it because they involved are trained to.



Don't treat or expect anything more of the people that are leader's/pastors/examples in the church than you do of your unsaved friend. They are just people. Nothing more. Maybe they would deserve special treatment if they acted like the awesome people they think they are. I've heard it said that in public leaders are to do the "right" thing. But in private it is up to them to decide what is right, and what they want to do. No struggling, that's ridiculous... Ridiculous. If you have to hide what you are doing in private. You shouldn't be doing it. If you are worried about people thinking the wrong thing, don't do the thing that makes them think them. Stop thinking it's about you, your life, doing what you want, It's not about that, it's about showing people who are struggling that you can live a life of righteousness. I don't care if it's hard. Life's hard. And it's your fault it's hard because people who claim to be so "good" who go and do retarded things make it hard on everyone else If they don't suck it up and live right. Self righterighteousnessousness... thinking you are God's gift to the earth and everyone on it and then not only acting like everyone else, but also making/expecting the people you are supposed to be leading to cover for you. I'm sick of it.

one last thing...

Although probably no one remembers/didn't mean anything by it. There was quite a time when I was lucky to get to go to church once a month because of volleyball. And I know that still I haven't been able to do alot of things because I have a volleyball stuff alit. And everyone gives me a hard time about it which is fine. But I hit a point of overload. I would come home from youth for a while in tears because everyone had been giving me such a hard time about missing "You are choosing volleyball over God!" "You heathen!" and I understand most of it was all a joke. But I know alot of people don't "approve" of my not going alot because of volleyball. But thats what I'm doing right now. It doesn't matter if you think it's right. I've talked to God about it. We are great friends. He says it's cool. Thats where I'm at, and I know it's right because I have never been closer to God. I never have chosen volleyball over God. I have chosen volleyball over church, but guess what?..... church isn't God. And as long as I have a good relationship with God, I'm ok. I'm not mad, and this is really is stupid and no big deal. But I just needed to not hold little grudges against anyone anymore. I needed to be truthful and say that it bothered me more than I thought something like that could. Because I felt like my relationship with God was being attacked.

That will be all.

I can only think of 3 people who will actually read this whole thing.
I'm not sorry if it offended you, because if it did, you needed to hear it.

This is not judging anyone.

Just me, talking about what I've seen and learned about church over the last few years.

change it coming...

Get over it.