Are You More Focused on the Shortcomings of Others Than Jesus?

Enjoy this gem a friend recently shared with me on social media; I laughed because it is so true.

A lady went to the pastor and said, “I won’t be attending church anymore.”

“May I ask why?”

She said, “I see people on their cell phones during the service. Some are gossiping. Some just aren’t living right. They are all just hypocrites.”

After some silence, the pastor said, “OK. But can I ask you to do something for me before you make your final decision?”

She asked, “What’s that?”

He said, “Take a glass of water and walk around the church two times, and don’t let any water fall out of the glass.”

She said, “Yes, I can do that!” She did, and then she came back and said, “It’s done.”

The pastor asked her three questions:

— Did you see anybody on their phone?

— Did you see anybody gossiping?

— Was anybody living wrong?

She said, “I didn’t see anything because I was so focused on this glass, so the water wouldn’t fall.”

He told her, “When you come to church, you should be just that focused on God so that you don’t fall. That is why Jesus said, ‘Follow Me.’ He did not say follow Christians. Don’t let your relationship with God be determined by how others related with God. Let it be determined by how focused you are with God.”

How easy it can be to look around at other people? While this post gives a great illustration, our Bible does have some great Scriptures that I pray get rooted and grounded in your heart.

“The next day Jesus decided to go into Galilee, and He found Philip and said to him, ‘Follow Me [as My disciple, accepting Me as your Master and Teacher, and walking the same path of life that I walk]'” (John 1:43, AMP).

“My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me” (John 10:27, NKJV).

My prayer is for all Christians to grow in our relationship with God. In this, may it be easier every day to stay focused on God and to enjoy the rich love He has for us.

We have been digging into two of my books, Heaven Bound and Walking the Talk. I would like to invite you to spend some time with me in Bible Study. We will be diving into sharing Jesus with those around us as well as growing with the Lord. You can read along and listen to my recent episode of Loved Always on the Charisma Podcast Network. My website, lovedalways.net, has links to purchase each book. Bring along your Bible as it is the foundation for any book I write to help believers. There are countless Scriptures in these books. We will only be able to touch the surface within this framework. I would like to make sure you have great resources that help you in your journey with the great God we love, serve and worship.

Please enjoy the verse of the day or leave a prayer request at lovedalways.net. {eoa}

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