On Christian Busybodies

There is only one Mediator between me and God and it's not you

I’m not really doing this. Wouldn’t want to cause anyone to stumble. Also, a few more sit-ups might be in order.

I’ve had people say or imply that I wasn’t really a Christian because I’m a Big Meanie occasionally, or because I cut my hair very short, or because I call Him “Jesus,” instead of “Yeshua” or “Yehoshua,”¹ or about the version of the Bible that I use, or because I’m not as financially “blessed” as other members of the body of Christ.

I even had a guy tell me that women of God shouldn’t live in a ghetto! (Spoiler alert: I don’t live in a ghetto and I never have.)

These situations always make me laugh - and make me a little fearful for the person because they’re doing the very thing that Jesus warned us against in one of His admonitions about judgement. Additionally, they insert themselves into a place in which they do not belong: between me and God.²

A few weeks back, my pastor pointed out that each one of us harbors some delusions about our personal, individual relationship with God. It seems to me that correcting this is the purpose of daily reading of the Bible and of prayer.

Of course, it can never be fully corrected until we move on to the next life.

I’ve had an inkling of this for a while, but after my pastor said it out loud, it has stayed with me.

That's why I don't point fingers at other Christians and how they live their lives, they have their own pastor for that and even there, it’s my opinion that pastor should stay out of people’s personal lives unless invited or unless it relates to the functioning of the flock with which the pastor is entrusted by God.

If God wants to get somebody’s attention about something they’re doing or not doing, He certainly knows how to do it. Trust me on this.

We're all "doing it wrong" in some aspect of relating to God, because, since the Fall, we were all born in iniquity. Yes, you too and even your pastor.

But God's grace is sufficient for me and for thee and, as we keep walking towards a better relationship with Him, sometimes He'll reach down and close the gap. I think, under such conditions, He gives us just a little tap with His staff instead of smacking us in the head with it. Usually.

There’s only one requirement for relating to God: having Jesus the Christ as Lord and Savior. Everything else flows from there.

1. In such cases, I explain the concepts of translation and transliteration. Sometimes it gets through.

2. If I were married, it would be my husband’s place to correct me, but I’m not married. An alarming number of Christian men believe it’s their place to correct all women.