“Yippee” was the feeling of glee the young driver felt. It was the first time for her to drive after she got her license. All those school classes on driver safety, reading and reciting that boring driver’s manual were over; and now the moment of freedom was not far away. She could go anywhere daddy’s car would take her.
“Well, what’s the first thing I should do? Oh yeah, check the mirror. Okay. Check the driver’s mirror. Check. Check the rear-view mirror. Oops, my lipstick needs a little more on the top lip. Double-check. Adjust seat. Put on the seat belt. Check. Put the key in, and turn it on.” A little burst of excitement made her smile as she was seconds from a world she had wanted to enter for way too long. “Put it in drive, and away we go,” she giggled. This was it. “A little bit on the accelerator, and?”
The car would not move. “Maybe a little more gas?” The car inched forward, lurching and jerking. It did not want to cooperate. “Hmm. What didn’t I do?” The novice driver double-checked everything she had done so many times before.
More gas, and, still a lurching forward. “Something is wrong here,” she concluded. “I had better check with Dad.” As she put the car in park, turned off the ignition and prepared to leave the vehicle, something caught her eye. Someone had left the emergency brake on. Again she restarted the car, removed the emergency brake, put it in gear, applied the gas; and she was off. The brake made it almost impossible for her to get anywhere!
In church, there also may be securely applied brakes that keep many from going forward for God. The appliers of the brake often mean well, but 
sometimes they unintentionally restrict others from moving smoothly forward in Christian service.
These “brakes” are often:
- Unkind, unthought-out words such as, “We ain’t done it that way before,” “That’s not how we do it around here,” “When you’ve been saved as long as I have, you’ll know better,” “I’d never do it that way.” Although there should be proper ways to do things, since any ministry is representing the church, too often we can deflate one’s enthusiasm to move forward for God, because of unedifying, self-purposing, wrong words.
- Very few attend church-wide events such as: church, prayer meetings, visitation, church dinners, or other church functions. Lack of attendance instantly sends a message to those that do attend, that they are not like anyone else, and maybe they are “taking this Christian thing too seriously.” Immediately their zeal is quenched, and they soon could be one more Christian that is sitting and not serving.
- The longstanding members and leaders do not attend church regularly. New converts and visitors see their lack of support for the ministry and instantly halt their zeal in attending. “Well, if they’re not coming, then maybe it really is not important for me to attend all the time,” could be their thought.
- Members are late. Tardiness gives a clear impression about the importance of attendance. One would not think of being late for school or work, because it is important. Church attendance is also important!
- Complaining and murmuring among members magnifies to the on-looker that maybe this is not really a happy church family. It also does not help, when someone in public prayer, makes it clear that they are not happy with something that is going on in the church. Under the guise of spirituality, it is sometimes prayed aloud, “Please pray for Brother So-and-so that he will get his heart right and stop lying,” or some other cutting remark about a situation. Those cowardly attacks never do anything positive; they only increase discord and hurt feelings. No one is usually fooled, and it is soon realized that the person is venting his opinion about how they think people or situations should be dealt with in the church. The Holy Spirit should handle most situations and not us! If we do feel the need to make sure the matter is handled, it should be dealt with first on a one-to-one basis (Matthew 18:15-17)!
There are already enough obstacles in serving the Lord without our discouraging others, intentionally or unintentionally. The work is great and so is the battle (Ephesians 6:12). There is more said in the Bible about encouraging others and ourselves than there is in our being volunteer “holy spirits”, and our telling others how to serve God. The real Holy Spirit can certainly do a better job in speaking to hearts and guiding one in the way He would like it done. We need to be more like accelerators, and less often like “brakes”!
“If you are busy rowing the boat, you won’t have time to rock it!”
I was just re reading your statement about tardiness. Brother, it is epidemic! You have to treat grown men like children to get them to show up on time. Many of the factories we work in have draconian tardiness policies, the result of which is losing one’s job in just a few infractions.
At church, we have what I call “Pentecostal on time”. I often work the door and we have the same folks that come as much as 30-45 minutes after the start of service. Don’t get me wrong, I am glad they are there. I just wish they were excited enough about it to be early by 30 minutes.
I should add to that statement that we have an equal or greater number that do come 30 minutes early to pray and seek the Lord for the service.
Once there was a little bit of controversy about those who served in a position being on time. The individuals with the problem became upset if anyone tried to stick them to any type of standard. (Sounds like a brand of rebellion, does it not?) One once made a statement to me…”I wish that people would accept what you do, instead of berating you for what you don’t do.” It seemed like he was asking for a pat on the back for showing up at all, albeit late, and expecting everyone to just be happy that he was there at all.
After all, we are the Church, by today’s reckoning, a volunteer organization. We love folks and accept them where they are so we can help them. There is, however, a cost to everyone in the Church for half stepping! Our half stepping costs us our own victory and also, possibly the victory others may attain. Our half stepping makes us fall a little shorter than we might in worship and in service to Him.
I want to encourage all of you that ARE on time and engaged… you are pulling the wagon! There is a reward for your enthusiasm, if not in this life, then the next. I also want to encourage you to identify the enemy correctly… we wish the late guy would do different, but he is not the enemy.
There is a song that says…”I’m gonna pray if I pray all by myself”.
Being on time is part of a good testimony and shows good character. In most cases, it should be taught by parents, but the public school system is not helping matters much. Some schools, since the children are “sleepy in the morning” have changed their starting time to 8:30-9ish. The children are then raised lazily, so they never show up to work before 10 … If the parents were on their toes, they would train their children to go to bed “early on school nights” rather than letting them stay up late and make it impossible to be managed next morning in school. One Harvard graduate was surprised to find that she was fired after turning up two hours late on her first day of work. She could not understand for the life of her what the “bosses problem was”. Duh! The working world works by a schedule.
Maybe with all the discouraging going on is why so many hate Christians and call them hypercrites .
I believe, and the Bible also agrees, that they hate Christians as their righteous living convicts them of their own sin. Rather than get it right, they would rather get rid of those whose living and beiefs make them feel guilty. They attack the “messenger” rather than deal with their own iniquities. Ultimately their grievances is not with us, although we are the only one they can see. Their problem is with God!
So true!