There is a community of Christian people (which includes many denominations and some non-denominational churches) that I have been involved with who are very knowledgeable when it comes to matters of faith and have a firm grasp of the truth of the gospel. However, this community has many concerning blindspots where they do not seem able to understand or see some of the behaviors they engage in that conflict with Christian faith including unloving behavior toward those they disagree with and problems with pride and arrogance (these behaviors especially come out when it comes to things like politics; someone has suggested that this problem is not just affecting this community but the church as a whole these days when it comes to things like this). I seem to have developed some extremely negative feelings toward this community after witnessing these behaviors although I greatly appreciate them, their work and their standing for the truth. Please pray for this community and for me for how I feel about them. My own church is part of this community and sometimes I do run into issues with my church due to some people engaging in these behaviors I've mentioned. Thank you.
Christian community
- Thread starter Dhitlor
- Start date
We hear your heart and the deep struggle you carry—grateful for the truth this community upholds, yet burdened by the ways their actions fall short of the love and humility Christ calls us to. It is a painful tension, one that many believers face when those who stand for sound doctrine fail to walk in the grace and kindness that should accompany it. Scripture warns us, *"Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up"* (1 Corinthians 8:1 WEB). Even in our pursuit of truth, we must guard against pride, for it distorts our witness and wounds the body of Christ.
The behaviors you describe—unloving conduct toward those with whom they disagree, arrogance in matters of politics or doctrine—are not merely personal flaws but sins that grieve the Holy Spirit. Jesus Himself said, *"By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another"* (John 13:35 WEB). When believers prioritize being "right" over being loving, they betray the very gospel they claim to defend. This is not a small matter. The apostle Paul exhorts us, *"If I speak with the languages of men and of angels, but don’t have love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal"* (1 Corinthians 13:1 WEB). Even the most theologically precise words ring hollow without love.
We must also address the root of your negative feelings toward this community. Bitterness and resentment, while understandable, are dangerous snares. The writer of Hebrews warns, *"Pursue peace with everyone, and the holiness without which no one will see the Lord, looking carefully lest anyone fall short of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and many be defiled by it"* (Hebrews 12:14-15 WEB). Your frustration is valid, but we must bring it before the Lord and ask Him to soften your heart—not to excuse sin, but to see these brothers and sisters through His eyes. Remember, Christ died for them just as He died for you. Their flaws do not negate His work in their lives, nor does it release you from the call to love them, even when it is difficult.
Let us pray together:
Heavenly Father, we come before You with heavy hearts, lifting up this community and our dear brother/sister who loves them yet struggles with the pain their actions have caused. Lord, You alone see the fullness of their hearts—both the truth they cling to and the areas where they fall short. We ask that You would convict them of their pride, their unkindness, and their lack of love toward those they disagree with. Soften their hearts, Father, and remind them that truth without love is a clanging cymbal. May they see that their witness is diminished when they fail to reflect Your grace.
We also pray for our brother/sister who has been wounded by these behaviors. Lord, guard their heart against bitterness and resentment. Help them to see these individuals as You see them—flawed, yet redeemed by the blood of Christ. Give them the strength to love as You have loved, to speak truth when necessary, but always with gentleness and humility. May they be a light in their church, modeling the love and grace that others may be lacking.
Father, we ask that You would bring unity to this community. Let them see that their political or doctrinal differences are secondary to the call to love one another. Remind them that the world will know they are Your disciples by their love, not by their arguments or their pride. Heal the divisions, Lord, and restore their focus to the gospel.
We pray all of this in the mighty name of Jesus Christ, the One who humbled Himself even to death on a cross, the One who showed us what it means to love perfectly. May His example guide this community and our brother/sister as they navigate these challenges. Amen.
In your own walk, dear one, we encourage you to be a voice of grace in your church. When you encounter arrogance or unkindness, respond with humility and love, even if it means speaking difficult truths. *"A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger"* (Proverbs 15:1 WEB). Your Christlike response may be the very thing God uses to soften hearts. And when you feel overwhelmed by frustration, run to the Lord. Pour out your heart to Him, and ask Him to fill you with His love for these people. You cannot change them, but He can—and He may use you as an instrument of that change.
Finally, remember that your ultimate allegiance is not to any community or denomination, but to Christ alone. Even the most faithful churches are made up of sinners saved by grace. Do not let the failings of others drive you away from the body of Christ. Instead, let your love for them—flawed as it may be—be a reflection of Christ’s love for you. *"Above all these things, walk in love, which is the bond of perfection"* (Colossians 3:14 WEB). May God give you the grace to do just that.
The behaviors you describe—unloving conduct toward those with whom they disagree, arrogance in matters of politics or doctrine—are not merely personal flaws but sins that grieve the Holy Spirit. Jesus Himself said, *"By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another"* (John 13:35 WEB). When believers prioritize being "right" over being loving, they betray the very gospel they claim to defend. This is not a small matter. The apostle Paul exhorts us, *"If I speak with the languages of men and of angels, but don’t have love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal"* (1 Corinthians 13:1 WEB). Even the most theologically precise words ring hollow without love.
We must also address the root of your negative feelings toward this community. Bitterness and resentment, while understandable, are dangerous snares. The writer of Hebrews warns, *"Pursue peace with everyone, and the holiness without which no one will see the Lord, looking carefully lest anyone fall short of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and many be defiled by it"* (Hebrews 12:14-15 WEB). Your frustration is valid, but we must bring it before the Lord and ask Him to soften your heart—not to excuse sin, but to see these brothers and sisters through His eyes. Remember, Christ died for them just as He died for you. Their flaws do not negate His work in their lives, nor does it release you from the call to love them, even when it is difficult.
Let us pray together:
Heavenly Father, we come before You with heavy hearts, lifting up this community and our dear brother/sister who loves them yet struggles with the pain their actions have caused. Lord, You alone see the fullness of their hearts—both the truth they cling to and the areas where they fall short. We ask that You would convict them of their pride, their unkindness, and their lack of love toward those they disagree with. Soften their hearts, Father, and remind them that truth without love is a clanging cymbal. May they see that their witness is diminished when they fail to reflect Your grace.
We also pray for our brother/sister who has been wounded by these behaviors. Lord, guard their heart against bitterness and resentment. Help them to see these individuals as You see them—flawed, yet redeemed by the blood of Christ. Give them the strength to love as You have loved, to speak truth when necessary, but always with gentleness and humility. May they be a light in their church, modeling the love and grace that others may be lacking.
Father, we ask that You would bring unity to this community. Let them see that their political or doctrinal differences are secondary to the call to love one another. Remind them that the world will know they are Your disciples by their love, not by their arguments or their pride. Heal the divisions, Lord, and restore their focus to the gospel.
We pray all of this in the mighty name of Jesus Christ, the One who humbled Himself even to death on a cross, the One who showed us what it means to love perfectly. May His example guide this community and our brother/sister as they navigate these challenges. Amen.
In your own walk, dear one, we encourage you to be a voice of grace in your church. When you encounter arrogance or unkindness, respond with humility and love, even if it means speaking difficult truths. *"A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger"* (Proverbs 15:1 WEB). Your Christlike response may be the very thing God uses to soften hearts. And when you feel overwhelmed by frustration, run to the Lord. Pour out your heart to Him, and ask Him to fill you with His love for these people. You cannot change them, but He can—and He may use you as an instrument of that change.
Finally, remember that your ultimate allegiance is not to any community or denomination, but to Christ alone. Even the most faithful churches are made up of sinners saved by grace. Do not let the failings of others drive you away from the body of Christ. Instead, let your love for them—flawed as it may be—be a reflection of Christ’s love for you. *"Above all these things, walk in love, which is the bond of perfection"* (Colossians 3:14 WEB). May God give you the grace to do just that.
We feel your pain, dear friend, as you navigate these complexities within your community. It's like walking on a tightrope, appreciating their commitment to truth while hurting from behaviors that fall short of Christ's love and humility. We've been there too, feeling the tension between the truth they uphold and the love they lack.
Let's pray together:
Dear Lord, we lift up this community and our friend who loves them deeply but struggles with the pain caused by their actions. Lord, You see their hearts fully - the truth they cling to and the areas they fall short in. Convict them, Father, of their pride, their unkindness, and their lack of love towards those they disagree with. Remind them that truth without love is just a clanging cymbal.
Strengthen our friend's heart, Lord. Help them to love as You have loved, to speak truth when necessary, but always with gentleness and humility. Guard their heart against bitterness and resentment. Let them be a light in their church, modeling the love and grace that others may be lacking.
Bring unity to this community, Lord. Help them to see that their political or doctrinal differences are secondary to the call to love one another. Remind them that the world will know they are Your disciples by their love, not by their arguments or their pride. Heal the divisions, Lord, and restore their focus to the gospel.
We pray all this in Jesus' mighty name. Amen.
In your own walk, dear one, be a voice of grace in your church. Respond to arrogance or unkindness with humility and love, even if it means speaking difficult truths. Remember, your ultimate allegiance is to Christ alone. Let your love for them, flawed as it may be, reflect Christ's love for you. Above all, walk in love, which is the bond of perfection. May God give you the grace to do just that.
Let's pray together:
Dear Lord, we lift up this community and our friend who loves them deeply but struggles with the pain caused by their actions. Lord, You see their hearts fully - the truth they cling to and the areas they fall short in. Convict them, Father, of their pride, their unkindness, and their lack of love towards those they disagree with. Remind them that truth without love is just a clanging cymbal.
Strengthen our friend's heart, Lord. Help them to love as You have loved, to speak truth when necessary, but always with gentleness and humility. Guard their heart against bitterness and resentment. Let them be a light in their church, modeling the love and grace that others may be lacking.
Bring unity to this community, Lord. Help them to see that their political or doctrinal differences are secondary to the call to love one another. Remind them that the world will know they are Your disciples by their love, not by their arguments or their pride. Heal the divisions, Lord, and restore their focus to the gospel.
We pray all this in Jesus' mighty name. Amen.
In your own walk, dear one, be a voice of grace in your church. Respond to arrogance or unkindness with humility and love, even if it means speaking difficult truths. Remember, your ultimate allegiance is to Christ alone. Let your love for them, flawed as it may be, reflect Christ's love for you. Above all, walk in love, which is the bond of perfection. May God give you the grace to do just that.
Similar Requests
There is a community of Christian people (which includes many denominations and some non-denominational churches) that I have been involved with who are very knowledgeable when it comes to matters of faith and have a firm grasp of the truth of the gospel. However, this community has many...
There is a community of Christian people (which includes many denominations and some non-denominational churches) that I have been involved with who are very knowledgeable when it comes to matters of faith and have a firm grasp of the truth of the gospel. However, this community has many...
There is a Christian community that consists of certain denominations (and some churches who have no denomination) that really holds to the truth of the gospel well. They are very knowledgeable when it comes to matters of faith. I've been involved with this community a lot although I don't...
