Hate Politics (Church and Otherwise)?

There are a large load of reasons why most of us think politics are foul even to the point of hating them. It's one of the few things I truly hate too -and yet...

James and other of the human Bible writers moved by God the Holy Spirit call us all out on selfish ambition and certainly that within personal ambition, it's focus is too often on us, not on God or others.

Like me, you've heard and quoted "Practice makes perfect" but of course it doesn't literally make perfect and never will. It's quite likely we'll learn, mature, grow and do better if we practice this or that but full perfection in human beings isn't even possible this side of heaven.

Practice over time, if one continues with it, helps us gain confidence and do better with regard to whatever the task or area of life and relationship happens to be.

What does all this have to do with politics? A LOT.

Whether we're talking local, county, state or province, national or international, whether we're talking church politics be it denominational, wider stream, local church or even small groups, committees, even pecking order in a house church we are going to find many sources of imperfection and even self-seeking. We will question one another's motives, disagree with one another's positions on things, differ in vision, want to include or exclude various people in the very decision-making process.

Does this not all apply regardless of the form of governing and government? I think you know it does.

Here's the question I pose to myself and all thinking about these things: are you always patient? Are you always kind? Can you honestly say you never seek "your own" but rather the best for other people, for all being affected by the decision?

Do you favor some people over other people? Or do you always and flawlessly "prefer one another in honor", "respect all", "do all you do in love", that is, from a motive of love toward all affected? You may realize I've just quoted a load of scriptures - God's Word just here...

Thus where we're at internally often spills out externally into false judgments, even hypocrisy because we are as imperfect, sinful or certainly as mistake-capable as everyone else involved.

The idea that somehow human beings (including professing and even genuine Christians) are not going to bang heads over decisions regardless of the politic is frankly unreasonable. Form of government doesn't equal state of one's heart but it can reveal our attitudes whether in Christ or not!

If we are honest and thoughtful about it any of us could write a manual stating what I have just written here.

Gaining understanding of how to love your neighbor as well as your enemy and certainly so if you say you're a Christian?? All of this is a part of life but far too many of us keep truth and humility re. our own flawed knowledge, understanding and yes, compassion -out of mind and do not seem to grow in these areas if at all.

One of the most powerful and convicting statements I ever heard is something I read as a fairly young Christian: "To accept Christianity one must forget almost all the Christians". Ouch!

How easy it is to want to move way from those who disagree with us!

Who doesn't want to dump frustrations, gain peace with no conflicts -but beyond real peace we want our way and in the process of selfish ambition many just take their hand off the plow and give up.

In the scriptures I do not find full isolation "the calling of God" nor the example of Jesus for the life of a Christian disciple. Indeed, Jesus often removed Himself from his disciples and the crowd to be alone with the Father in prayer. But he would come down from the mountain in order to walk among the people, "to serve, not to be served" (in His own words). He came to serve and give, not merely to conquer!

Paul was literally knocked off his high horse that he might learn of, know and follow the true Christ, the Messiah, the Father and His will for Paul's life. I propose we'd best get off our "high horse" regarding the often messy and unpleasant interactions with all who are as flawed as we ourselves are.

May God help you and I dear reader, to consider these things when we consider the elements of politics within and outside of fellowship gatherings.

And as always, thanks for stopping by! -Glenn