Bashing the Bride

Have you ever heard the phrase, "Christians are the only ones who shoot their wounded"? If we were sitting down over a cup of coffee, I would love to know you're thoughts about that comment. 

I had a great conversation with Missional Women writer Angi Pratt the other day about how to respond to comments said about other believers. Angi was in a spiritual conversation with a girl who was describing her experience with Christians. The girl said a pastor had told her she was "the spawn of satan". Everything in us wants to jump to the girls defense and bash that pastor who would say that. 

It's also common to hear Christians and non-Christians alike talk bad about the general "other Christians", lumping every Christian into a category of judgmental, legalistic, cheesy, dorky... etc. It's easy to passively nod in agreement about those "other" Christians being so ______.

But...  
Didn't Jesus say people would know He was God by our love for one another? He didn't say the non-believer would know Jesus was God by our taking their side and joining them in pointing the finger at the Christians they came in contact with. Rather, people will know Jesus is God by our love, our unselfishly choosing for another's highest good, of other believers, even believers we don't know, even believers we don't agree with or necessarily relate with all that much. 

How beautiful it would be to see bashing and belittling Jesus' bride come to an end. It seems a good way to deal with comments like the girl and the pastor would be to love the girl, to do what's in her best interest. It would be best for her to be able to communicate with that pastor. To share how that made her feel and give him opportunity to clarify if there was miscommunication. Perhaps offering to go with the girl to deal with the issue would communicate love, yet not at the expense of bashing Jesus' bride.

Here's a somewhat weird question for you. As you are singing worship songs, have you ever thought about other believers in place of yourself when singing?  Will you try it for a minute? Here's a couple well known songs. Whenever it talks about what God does for us, instead of thinking about how He does that for you, think about Him doing that for "those Christians".

Here's the first song:
Into the darkness you shine out of the ashes
we rise there's no one like you none like You!
Our God is greater, our God is stronger,
God you are higher than any other.
Our God is Healer, Awesome in Power, Our God! Our God!
Our God is greater, our God is stronger,
God you are higher than any other.
Our God is Healer, Awesome in Power, Our God! Our God!

And if our God is for us, then who could ever stop us.
And if our God is with us, then what could stand against.
And if our God is for us, then who could ever stop us.
And if our God is with us, then what could stand against.
What could stand against.

The same God that is for us is for "them". Let that sink in. The same might God wants to show to us, He wants to show to that other Christian you don't really get along with or agree with.

Here's another:
A thousand times I've failed
Still your mercy remains
And should I stumble again
Still I'm caught in your grace

Everlasting, Your light will shine when all else fades
Never ending, Your glory goes beyond all fame

Here's one more:
You stood before my failure
Carried the Cross for my shame
My sin weighed upon Your shoulders
My soul now to stand

We fail, a lot. And if you're anything like me, it's easy to demand mercy for my mistakes yet justice and wrath for others, forgetting that Jesus died for their mistakes too.

When another believer messes up, our knee jerk reaction is to point the finger and accuse. But here's the reality (ital. mine), "Once you [and they] were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your [and their] evil behavior. But now he has reconciled you [them] by Christ's physical body through death to present you [them] holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation." Col. 1:21-22 

The more we understand our true identity in Christ, we should understand that same identity as given to other believers in Christ as well. But it takes practice. Here's a helpful exercise that will help train your thoughts in what's true of other believers. 

Get another specific believer in your mind. Read through the list below and let it sink in that Jesus declared these things true about that person. And then spend some time thanking God for giving them this new identity. 

When you're done, please share this with the other believers the Lord puts on your heart.

103 Truths from Scripture about the Follower of Christ

About Laura

Laura, the creator and host of Missional Women is married and has three kids, two of who are adopted. They have been missionaries to college students for 11 years serving with Master Plan Ministries. Laura has discipled over 150 girls, led over 30 Bible studies and speaks 10-20 times a year. Laura is an award winning author of a 12 week Bible Study on First Samuel, Beholding Him, Becoming Missional, recently released Reach; How to Use Your Social Media Influence for the Glory of God, and Glimpse of Glory; A Devotional Journey through the book of Judges, a FREE devotional which accompanies the online Bible studyTheBookofJudges.com.

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