Some churchgoers are discouraging other members! 

Editor: The cry has been ongoing for years now! Many churchgoers have made a practice of gossiping in a harmful way. They “bad talk” fellow brothers and sisters, pulling their reputation down. At times, they do this because their fellow church members support a political party that they don’t support. You may hear a church member say: “I am not going to church when Pastor X is preaching because he is too biased when he talks politics, which he shouldn’t even be talking in church! He makes some of us feel as if we are foolish to be supporting a political party that he does not support!”

Some preachers also “throw words” at selected church members, humiliating and embarrassing them. How discouraging to church members! Can we imagine Jesus Christ “bad talking” his apostles and embarrassing them? He never did! Even when two apostles wanted honoured positions in God’s Kingdom, making the other 10 apostles angry, Jesus calmly gave them loving counsel not to be proud, but humble. Mark 10:42 – 44; Luke 22:24 – 27; John 13:1. 

No wonder some persons stop going to their churches. They prefer to stay home and read their Bibles. Others may accept a Bible study with another religion and leave their church to become part of that other religion that they feel shows more love. John 13:34, 35. Get rid of religious and political prejudice, which are promoted by God’s greatest enemy! 1 Peter 5:8. Stop making Satan happy! Proverbs 27:11. 

Brianna