4. The more mature a person claims to be, the less awesome they are to be around.
Ever notice the people who claim to the be the most spiritually mature often are the quickest to judge insiders, outsiders and leaders who don’t think, act and behave like they do?
They’re even quick to tell you what God thinks and point out how wrong you are.
Here’s the question that bothers me: Why do the people who claim to speak for God seem to be nothing like Jesus?
Meanwhile, there are people in your church who quietly read the scriptures daily, pray deeply, serve humbly and invite their friends regularly who exhibit all kinds of signs of real spiritual maturity but who never claim to be mature.
I think we have misdefined what spiritual maturity is in the church today. I wrote about that here.
Sometimes it’s best as a leader to ignore the people who claim to be mature and instead build your church on the people who actually are mature.
Here’s how to tell, by the way, if your church is actually producing disciples.
5. The people who complain the most contribute the least.
Too often in church life, the people who complain the most contribute the least.
If you actually had access to the giving records of the people who complain the most, you will often find that lack of charity in their words is matched by the lack of charity in their finances (and deeds).
You can’t advance the mission of the church church on criticism. You can only advance the mission through contribution.
But criticism is always easier than contribution, which is why some people stop there.
Don’t let critics derail the future of your church. Think about what they really contribute … and move on.
Here are five healthy ways to deal with your critics. And if you need a little more therapy, here’s a letter I wrote to the person who complains a lot about everything.
Any Other Quirks You See?
Any other quirks you see that you think the church needs to address to get better?
