5 Reasons To Stop Bagging On The Church

Have you noticed all the bagging on the church in recent years? Sometimes it's the worldwide church. I've herd people call them ignorant or that they just don't get it. Sometimes it's the local church. I've herd people criticize it for not being the way they picture or want it. Sometimes it's a denomination. People love to argue who is right and why. I'm not talking about a discussion, I'm talking about an argument.

Over the last few years I've seen an increase in members of the church bagging on the church. Part of this I accept as part of our cultural shift. Western culture is shifting towards bashing and bagging on things they don't like, don't agree with, or don't understand. I don't mean this as a criticism but an observation that's been reported on for the past few years. But, I still find this to be no excuse. We shouldn't be bashing the church. Here are 5 reasons that we as the church shouldn't bash the church.

We Are All Sinners

When we notice flaws in the church they are flawed things put in place by flawed people because they are sinful. We are all sinful. When we bag on something we are tearing not into a person but that persons sin, their disease or terrible condition. Would you bag on someone because they are in a wheel chair? Would you rip on something some mentally handicapped did? I would hope not. Sin is the same kind of problem and it's something every single person on the planet has. So, it's not cool to bag on it.

It's Not Loving

Does it matter how right you are if you bag on things? Nope. Go read 1 Corinthians 13. If you have the perfect idea but it's not done or presented out of love than it's worthless. When we rip, bag, or tear into things there is no love there. If there were we would be concerned. If love was present we would show compassion on the people involved. When we bag on things we don't.

If we are going to be like God we need to love the people we see as the most unlovable. Sometimes that's other people in the church.

It Makes Us Gossips

So, you might rip on church stuff in private or with friends and think it's OK. Doesn't that make us gossips? To sit around and have tear into something about someone else in a non-productive or positive way is gossip. If you are thinking that something is just an organization you might be wrong. It's easy to trash talk the Catholic churches organizational structure and leaders. There are no faces with phrases like those. But, those structures weren't just implemented by people but are made up of people.

It's Makes Us Judgmental

A contestant in my life over the last few years is the movement for people in the church to be less judgmental of the world. To love people and leave any judging up to God. But, when people in the church start judging the church, and basing the church and trashing it does this, they are being judgmental of the church in the same way people in the church have bagged on the world. In either case it's not good.

It's Not Effective Change

Repenting from our sins and moving towards something better is how we are supposed to live. When we bag on things and trash them it's like telling someone their baby is ugly. You immediately close the door to conversations on real change. When we approach it from a negative standpoint it's not targeted at the positive. Basically, it doesn't bring about the change we hope for but actually works against it.

I'm not saying that we agree with everything in the church. But, the best response when we disagree is not to start trash talking or bagging on things. That's not good either. And, the more we change for the better the more change we will see that needs to happen. It's far more than we could accomplish in our lifetimes or even ten times our lifetimes. Our very nature is fighting against it.

So, the next time you feel the desire to bag in something on the church instead say a little prayer. Ask God for the patience to get past your attitude, the guidance to use the passion you feel for the good of the church, and ask for forgiveness of the evil in your heart. Then try to live that. It'll be better for you as a person, better for the church on it's mission, and better for the people you come across in the world.

OK, I'll step off my soap box now...