Over the next 5 posts I will look at self justification in the following areas:

1. Gossip.

2. Apathy.

3. Busyness.

4. Lack of consistent church attendance.

5. Unforgiveness.

6. Disregard for the truth.

7. Focusing on behaviour rather than the heart.

8. Gluttony.

9. Abuse.

10. Silence.

In this post I will deal with the first two:

1. Gossip

“I think we need to pray for him, he is really struggling.” Church is the perfect place for prayer, but it should not be a breeding ground for gossip and slandering others within the congregation, thinly veiled behind a prayer request. Prayer meetings are great but should be used to pray for personal prayer requests pertinent to the person sharing, not an opportunity to air out others’ dirty laundry.

2. Apathy

In today’s world, where people don’t want to be judged for their actions, it is becoming more and more difficult for Christians to be the voice in society’s lives. This has caused the church to become apathetic against the sins that are so quickly pervading our world. Jesus’ righteous anger burned in him when he saw the temple being used as a place for the gathering of wealth rather than the seeking of God. “My house will be a house of prayer,” he said, as he turned over the tables in the temple. We are quickly allowing boundaries to be crossed when it comes to what we will allow and what we will speak out against. We need to speak out on those issues that rob God of the glory He deserves.

Erick Bouwmeester