How did that garden grow?

It is often easier to embrace the "attacks" of the sinners than to endure the "love" of the saints. It is in fact why I do not attend church. God is God, yesterday today and forever, His love never changes. To God be the glory.

This was a fb post I made last month...

I expect little to nothing from non-believing people or those who do not proclaim any sort of "faith" or religion as a baseline for their moral and ethical behaviors, and yet they continually amaze me with their graciousness and honest inquiry.

Religion, more specifically Jesus, and the actions of those professing to be his followers, always seems to be an issue that had affected everyones' life in one way or another, and so sometimes people respond less than kindly, but like I said I should expect no less, we don't answer to the same convictions.

However, believers often seem to use their faith as a justification for treating people in a manner that seems to be in direct opposition to that same professed faith.

My experiences over the years as someone that has been involved with churches, have shown me that often those people who would like to believe they are actually the most zealous act and respond to certain situations and communications, in manners that are calloused, self-righteous and insensitive in making their points, or in trying to force conviction, about God's word and nature. Especially in the hope of "saving" them.

Even when in that process they have clearly hurt or offended someone in or outside the faith, the damage they've caused is rarely admitted or addressed.

When or if it is, an apology is even more rare to encounter and is usualyy substituted with a justification of their actions. It seems that this because they see what they've done as being God's work instead of considering that their method of achieving God's work may not God's method.

In short they feel that since their cause is not their own so the wake of damage the leave behind is not theirs either.

So is my point in concluding that God is God, that He alone knows His plan is that we shouldn't focus on believers as a factor in considering God.

I don't believe that one must be on God's side to be used in accomplishing His will, but it certainly isn't an enviable position to be in. So these people too may be a factor in the equation. Only God knows. I recently experienced this all over again so I'm a little unclear as to what God is doing with me right now. There is a plan to be sure He just hasn't felt inclined to share that with me, so far. At least not on this level.

In our current culture it seems that if you can stir kool-aid you can start churches, so the sheep must wisely mind their shepherds to ensure the shepherds are wisely minding their sheep.