I have been a serious member of Four churches including the college Christian Union and these are important things I have come to learn that are key to being at peace in any Church.
I like talking about testing spirits but somethings are not always so easy.
1. Guard your heart.
Never be so quick to share everything about yourself. Limit your stories to spiritual things. If it's not about God, keep it. Or else that information may be used by unscrupulous leaders to instigate fear, anxiety, worry, hopelessness just in an attempt to get you to become psychologically needy and dependent on the church.
Don't answer every question and say it's personal when the person wants to know too much.
Proverbs 4:23 |
Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.
2. Avoid Gossip
If you keep company with gossips, just know that the moment you turn around, you will be the topic of discussion and if you have a pastor with itchy ears for gossip, may God have mercy on you when he will take sides with the church gossips against you.
Get in and get out and only have friends that are useful. You do not need to be friends with everybody in your church ...
John 2:24, 25 |
But Jesus did not commit himself unto them, because he knew all men,
And needed not that any should testify of man: for he knew what was in man.
3. Limit your involvement
There is alway something that needs a volunteer. Ushering, serving water/ tea, etc.
If you cannot say no, you may find too much being lumped on you because you are the easy way out of every task. If you find leaders who have an attitude of entitlement, you may end up being overstretched, stressed and misused. Which will negate the purpose of the church for you.
4. Be financially Smart
There is always a send off offering for the visiting evangelist, a special offering for the women, an impromptu fundraising for a some electronic that got burnt during the service, a love offering, tithe, or just seed offering during the service, rent and other bills, etc. You cannot give all those offerings without overstretching yourself. Learn to say no, when the giving is not cheerful, because any offering, if it's God's, has to be given from the heart, cheerfully.
2 Corinthians 9:7 |
Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.
