Enjoying People's Failure

It's a sad day when you're more excited to see the team you hate lose rather than the team you love win.

I've experienced this recently. I used to simply cheer for the Blues and against the Chicago Blackhawks. But after last year, I started to become more interested in seeing the Blackhawks lose than my Blues win. Partly because the Blues had a bad season last year, but also because I've just grown to hate Chicago so much that I'd rather see them fail tan see my own team win.

Many churches and individuals fall in to this same mindset. They almost get more excited when they see bad things happen to ministries they disagree with rather than for the good things God is doing in their own church.

For a sports fan, it's sad. For the Church, it is tragic. Anytime we get to the point where we're rejoicing over the failtures of other churches, we should weep. And then repent!

I wonder sometimes if the problem is that it's hard for us to accept the fact that Jesus loved and died for the church down the street just as much as He did for our own church. The church across the nation too.

That includes the church that fell apart because their pastor had an affair.
The church whose music you abhor that's failing.
The church that went bankrupt.
The church that tries too hard to be relevant or the church that you think caters to a traditional crowd. And neither is growing.

You may not agree with other churches, but we're all Christ's bride. And before He died for all of us, he prayed that all of us would be one. Not that we'd rejoice when one of us falls. Do what you will, but I'd rather not be opposed to the prayers of Jesus. Lets be honest, he had a rather powerful and effective prayer life. I'm not going to waste any time trying to undermine Him.

When you see other churches fail, even if it's because of their own sin or stupidity, don't praise God for their failure. Pray to Him for their restoration. But first, how about praising God for your own successes? Praise God for His faithfulness in your church. In your life. That's where your most intense worship should be anyways, right?