Don't Shoot The Messenger

The orange season is starting, and I, being a fan of this natural source of Vitamin C decided to buy some imperial mandarins -- the one-of-a-kind member of the orange family that is easy to peel and doesn't create too much mess.

So I went to my local store a few weeks ago and bought a few. They were so sweet, I decided to go back to the same store over and over again, thinking that they would keep stocking the same, if not better, quality imperial mandarins. I did browse around trying to find them at lower price, but for some reason my heart always goes back to my local store.

I bought another kilogram of imperial mandarins today. At my local store. As of 5 minutes ago I have jut consumed two of them; and to my surprise, they weren't as sweet and as juicy as the ones I bought earlier.

My mind immediately said to myself: my local store no longer stocks up good oranges. I now have to search for new stores that will give me sweet imperial mandarins.

I paused for a few seconds. Then I replied to myself (in my mind): why do you blame your local store for the oranges that they sell? Isn't it just an intermediary who doesn't have no control over how sweet or how juicy the oranges will be?

I have encountered a lot of real-life scenarios around me where people leave the church they have grown fond of for many years of their lives simply because they were having a "rough season" with God. Frustrations got the best of them, and they began blaming the church, who are simply a messenger, for making them experiencing the season they were in. Before long, they left the church and went to another church, thinking that everything would be alright from then on.

It is very easy for us to blame those who are close to us, and make them our scapegoats. However, if we really want to get to the root cause of it, we should really take it up on God and not our church. Talk to him, get close to him, and get him to reveal his plans in our lives.

Don't shoot the messenger.

"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." (Phillipians 4:6-7)