How do toxic messages spread in Christian atmospheres?

I suppose there are many different ways toxic messages enter and spread in Christian atmospheres. Christians are and should be held to a higher standard. Yet, we often hear stories about toxic messages coming from within our own ranks. Unfortunately, this is the truth.

The one thing I have identified, is how secular messages creep into Christian messages. I am going to use just one example of how this might happen.

The Secular Joke

Joe walks into the hardware store. He has been a long-standing professional customer who buys all his construction materials from Jerry at the store. They know each other very well.

Joe recently found Jesus. He is excited because what he found in Jesus is FREEDOM. God put it on his heart that he should tell others about Jesus. He shouldn’t just keep this to himself. He should tell as many people as he can when the opportunity is right, that he is FREE.

Joe gets to the Pro-counter and Jerry greets him as usual. “How you doin today Joe?” “I am Free, Joe responds.” “Free?”, questions Jerry. “Since when did you get a divorce?”

End joke

Well now, isn’t that cute? I have to admit. It is a funny spin. I even laughed, when I heard it.

Here is the deal: Do you see the toxic Christian spin? The secular joke about the freedom of Jesus, is spun into marriage locking you up. In and of itself, the joke is funny, and it’s just a joke. By itself, the joke is not necessarily harmful. However, now the joke makes it into your church. Your Pastor tells this joke from the pulpit. You are the congregant. What is the message you hear? For me, I have done the work. I can see the harmlessness of the joke. However, Jerry on the other hand. His marriage is bad. He has not done the work. Everyday there is an argument or fight with his wife. He can’t seem to figure out that the porn he is using is the real problem in his marriage. The underlying message he gets from the joke is, marriage is hard. Marriage is supposed to be hard. And even the church thinks marriage is hard. Even the church thinks you lose your freedom by getting married. Please save me Jesus, is what Jerry is thinking.

The truth is, marriage is not supposed to be hard. Marriage is supposed to be LOVE. God’s love for woman and man. The truth is, marriage is supposed to make your life easier. You now have a lifelong friend who is your partner. You are now friends with someone that you share everything with. And per the scripture straight up – This union provides for community – (no longer alone) and an equal partner to share in the journey of life. Yes, marriage can be hard. However, that is not the PRIMARY PURPOSE.

Genesis 2:18 KJV
And the LORD God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him – Ezer Kenegdo.

Hebrew Matters – Ezer Kenegdo – “help as in God’s help- corresponding to him.”

Now maybe you think this is a stretch. I am here to tell you; NO IT IS NOT. These are the sly ways the devil does his work. Can you see the potential for harm? Should these messages continue to be repeated in the church, they now get re-enforced. In addition, Jerry who is a well-known church attendee and assumed Christian, goes around telling everyone similar jokes and stories. Christian and secular messages cross into their corresponding lanes and get twisted into untruths by unaware believers. Does it affect everyone that way? No, not necessarily. But what if it was just one? What if just one person hears that joke by their Pastor and that was the result? What if it was Jerry? Don’t we go after the lost sheep? Don’t we leave the 99 and go after the one?

In the Spiritual world we repeat the healthy Jesus messages we hear. We call that Spreading the Word. The Bible is a repeat of the same story over and over providing hope for the return of our Savior.

However, false prophets also spread the word. The toxic word.

Now, not just your Pastor might share this message, but others who found support in their public messages may also share these types of messages. And it’s tricky. We have to be aware and we need to take care.

The Righteous call out the unrighteous and the unrighteous defend themselves and double down in blindness of their ignorance, of what they believe is the word – word that is good for some but not for ALL. The toxic, cannot see they are in their own way. The way, that requires us to humble ourselves, NOT with sacrifice and service to others that includes harm to others. Rather, sacrifice and service to others that includes and creates –

LOVE.