The Church and its People

God is perfect, just, loving and forgiving. People are not. God keeps his promises. People do not.
So what do you do if you become disappointed with the church? Or more accurately the people/members/staff of a church.

The people of a church are its representatives. When they falter or make mistakes it can cause doubt and hurt feelings. When they act in a "non-christian" manner it can sometimes effect other members in a negative way. Overall we look at church goers to have a higher standard and to behave differently than the general population, even though they are only human. To a certain extent this is true, it is also true that the person looking at those church-goers should also realize that the people they are looking at are not perfect and have faults like everyone else.

So how do you overcome disappointment and hurt feelings relating to a church?

I guess you look at them as human and having their own struggles. But giving someone a second, third, etc. chance can be very hard. It's a struggle. But you need to set it aside and let it go. Easier said than done. But trusting God and not people is the way. On a higher level and thinking psychologically, disappointment in people helps take them from any elevated status to making them appear more human. This is so you trust in the Lord and not in people who may fail you. Sure it hurts, sure it weighs you down, but trusting in the Lord can lighten that load and be the help to lead to forgiveness.

Now I could go into "We are the body" and of course we should act like children of God. But again we are human and we have that basic human nature and fall very short of perfection. As Christians we strive to be more Christ like and that is our goal and yet we are imperfect. That is why we need Christ. Without Christ we can not reach our goal or be forgiven for being imperfect. So, it boils down to forgiveness and trust. Forgiveness is what we can give to other people and what God gives to us and trust that each experience is given to us by God.

Hebrews 12: 1-3
Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls.

Hebrews 12:12-15
Therefore strengthen your tired hands and weakened knees, and make straight paths for our feet, so that what is lame may not be dislocated, but healed instead. Pursue peace with everyone and holiness, without it no one will see the Lord. See to it that no one falls short of the grace of God and that no root of bitterness springs up, causing trouble and by it, defiling many.