Everyone is Important to God

For if anyone thinks himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself. Gal 6:3 NKJV

This verse is difficult to understand. How can a son or daughter of God be nothing?

 When I was a new Christian, a pastor tried to correct my tendency to pride. He told me I was “nothing”.. Of course, he exercised so much power to judge and control me, that he seemed to be saying he was super important, but I was quite literally “nothing”. This is not Christlike ministry at all. It was spiritual abuse.

Paul was a Jews, as was Jesus. In Hebrew thinking we often find extreme black and white statements which are really shocking if we take them literally.

“If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple. Lk 14:26 NKJV

Jesus also tells us to love on another. Paul tells husbands to love their wives. Parents who hate their children are the worst sinners on earth. So Jesus is not telling us to hate people, but rather to love God more then we love our families.

Likewise, in Galatians, Paul is telling us not to be self important but to consider other people to be at least as important as ourselves.

Do nothing from selfish ambition or empty conceit, but in humility regard others as better than yourselves. Php 2:3 NRSVue

Here again, Paul is not telling me I should go around feeling inferior to everyone. That is sick.

No. I see an insane man pulling faces and talking to himself. He is just as important to God as I am.

Years ago I was a language teacher. A young woman in my class was dressing and acting like a prostitute and I think she was. She was as important to God as myself.

So many churches teach women that their husbands are more important than they are, because men as supposedly wiser than women. The bible talks about doctrines of demons and I am convinced this is one of them.

I look around church meetings and I almost always see more women than men. Women who love God often find it hard to find a husband who is spiritually strong enough to be their married partner, and yet people rip bible texts out of context and tell us that the husband should always be the spiritual leader.

Clear eyed observation tells me this is dangerous nonsense.

Jesus tells you that you are dearly loved by the Heavenly Father. If you believe that Jesus suffered the punishment for your sins on the cross, if you accept the forgiveness that Jesus offers, you have eternal life.

You are a son or daughter of God for ever and ever. You cannot be a nobody. You are a very important somebody in God’s eyes, but you are not more important than anyone else. Why? Because God loves everyone without exception.

“For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life. Jn 3:16 NRSVue

Church: Caring or self destructing?

 Two years ago I needed urgent surgery to clean out a blocked carotid artery. It was a matter of life and death.

There are health freaks who don't fancy medication or surgery. Some thrive on a healthy diet, regular relaxation and exercise. Nevertheless, even healthy people are sometimes attacked by life-threatening diseases.

You don't need surgery until you need surgery.

But imagine having a family doctor who has one solution for every problem, surgery!

Many of his patients would die.

Once I was in a church where almost every sermon was judgemental and intimidating. 

Anyone who had problems was to receive intensive pastoral care with two pastors. One absolutely had to obey the directions of these pastors.

Anyone who expressed a different opinion from the pastor was excommunicated. The pastors claimed to be holy men of God. What they said was supposedly from God Himself.

We sometimes need a surgeon. We also sometimes need evangelists and guest preachers who speak strongly of holiness and obedience. When many Christians are involved in pornography, sometimes we need a warning.

The word pastor means shepherd. But pastors and elders need to be like good family doctors who encourage and help. A good shepherd does not punish his sheep with harsh blows.

A preacher or leader who rules with intimidation has no right to exercise authority.

Paul founded the church in Corinth, but later self-appointed authoritarian preachers emerged who bullied the believers. Paul said that such preachers should not be obeyed.

You put up with it when someone enslaves you, takes everything you have, takes advantage of you, takes control of everything, and slaps you in the face. 2 Corinthians 11:20 NLT

Are we then to despise all authority and all leadership, as some headstrong Christians do?

Paul taught mutual submission.

Be subject to one another out of reverence for Christ. Ephesians 5:21 NRSV

Christians should respect and take pastors seriously, but pastors must also respect and take all Christians seriously.

What did Jesus say about this?

“But you are not to be called ‘Rabbi,’ for you have only one Master and you are all brothers.
And do not call anyone on earth ‘father,’ for you have one Father, and he is in heaven.
Nor are you to be called ‘teacher,’ for you have one Teacher, the Christ.
The greatest among you will be your servant. Matthew 23:8–11 NIV84

Churches are often corrupted by arrogant leadership, but strife, rebellion and stubbornness are not the answer. When leaders rule with intimidation and bullying, you may leave. Just leave if you can.

“Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves.
By their fruit you will recognise them. Do people pick grapes from thorn bushes, or figs from thistles? Matthew 7:15–16 NIV84

Jesus warns not only against heretics with unbiblical doctrines, but also against preachers who rule without love and humility, even if their doctrine is correct.

Christian communities need order and respect, but where there is bullying and strife, the Body of Christ becomes like a sick person with an autoimmune disease. The body consumes itself.

As Christians and as congregations we are called to reach out to hurting and needy people, both inside the church and in the world outside. 

When our love grows cold and we just strive to build and maintain our ministries or congregations, we are in danger of developing spiritual autoimmune disease.