I do not recall my parents ever talking badly about our church family, the ministers, or the eldership where we attended church. I knew that my parents didn’t agree with some decisions made by the leadership, but they respected and supported them. An atmosphere of “us and them” did not exist in our home.
If you allow your experience as a member of a local body of Christ be unpleasant and you display that in front of your children, their experience may be unpleasant as well. Our attitude, actions, and example in the home will likely be learned and imitated by our children at some point. These attitudes and preconceived notions can be carried by children into adulthood and to future congregations they attend. When these attitudes and notions exist, I have to wonder if one fully understands the love they must have for another person.
“Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. He who does not love does not know God, for God is love. In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another” (I John 4:7-11).
“Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil. Cling to what is good. Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another; not lagging in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord; rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer; distributing to the needs of the saints, given to hospitality” (Romans 12:913).
Our love will be manifested when our fellowship with one another is less about us and more about one another. Your experience with the body of Christ will be a blessing, and your children’s experience will, prayerfully, be one that is good and memorable to carry forward.
For the elders, Terry Clark