So let’s pretend that you attend church every Sunday.  Let’s assume that our sole requirement for joining a local body of believers is to get entertained weekly… how are you doing with that?  However, a local body of faith is a 24 hour commitment… not a once per week obligation.  If you aren’t engaged on a regular basis with building others up and assisting the body 7 days per week, you missed.  And if you are a once-per-week kind of attendee, then your complaint privilege is hereby revoked.

Do you attend a church where the pastor is expected to do all of the work?  Do you really think that is the model we should follow?  How can you experience growth if you sit on your hands and complain about how things used to be or how things should be?  I don’t think Christ would spend much time listening to your bellyaching.  In fact.. I think He would kick the dust off his sandals and move on.

Here is a rule of thumb that all people with faith should employ.  1 complaint = 1 solution.  If you don’t have a solution… keep silent…misery loves company and it doesn’t paint a very clear picture of Christ and how we train up the young in faith.

If you aren’t praying for direction in all of your committees, meetings, or pursuits… you might as well stay at home and do nothing.  You can’t build faith if God isn’t allowed to enter into the think tank.

The church is loaded with do-nothings, complainers, and finger-pointers.  I don’t care how much money you give… if you do nothing… your faith is dead and useless. (Go Read James 2:16-19):

What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him? 15Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. 16If one of you says to him, “Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it? 17In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. 18But someone will say, “You have faith; I have deeds.” Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do. 19You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder.(NIV)

On the positive… I am honored to be part of a thriving congregation that is committing their lives to doing something.  Sure we have our share of bench warmers… like all congregations – I have to remind myself to get off the bench from time-to-time.  It’s not up to me to determine who is and isn’t living their faith through actions… but it is up to all of us not to put up with complaints that come with no solutions.

Take the following test to determine if you contribute to the problem or if you attempt to solve the problem:

1. Do you have a solution for the thing you complain about?  If not, shut thy mouth.
2. Are you using your talents to help strengthen your church?  If not, shut thy mouth.
3. Have you served someone in your church in the last week?  If not, shut thy mouth.
4. Do you gauge the worthiness of your leadership based only on how they serve you?  If so, shut thy mouth.
5. Are you engaged in helping someone understand what it means to be a disciple?  If not, shut thy mouth.

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