Watch out for the rattlesnakes
OPINION —
Most people will agree with the Bible’s teaching that God is love. And almost everyone would agree that God uses a multitude of ways to inspire his children to walk like He wants them to walk. But here’s a question for you: Would God use a rattlesnake to get the attention of His wayward children? Before you answer, read on.
Every pastor has a few wayward members, folks who were once active but for some reason have quit coming to church. Excuses for waywardness are as numerous as the stars. One may have been offended by another church member. Another may not like the music used in worship. Another may not like the way the preacher combs his hair. Yet another dropout may feel the preacher has not measured up to his expectations.
Whatever the reason, pastors grieve when they are unable to reactivate their contrary members. Pastors know that God’s love is inclusive and that He wants all His children to walk in the light and support His church. Most pastors would do most anything to win back their dropouts and persuade them to rejoin the team.
But no preacher is wise enough to reach everyone. With God’s help pastors can win a few but there are always some who are not coming back. This causes some pastors to rationalize and conclude, “Well, we are better off without those rascals.” I saw a sign in a doctor’s office that I have been tempted to put in my office. The sign said, “Everyone brings happiness here; some by coming, others by leaving.”
Nor could I ever see myself thanking God for rattlesnakes like one preacher I heard about. This pastor served a church in the hill country of Kentucky and he too had a family of wayward members. The dropouts included a grumpy old man and his three sons, John, Jake and Sam. The pastor had tried for years to persuade the family to come back to church. But despite his pleading, they stubbornly turned a deaf ear to the pastor. (If I knew the author of this story I would give him credit, but I don’t.)
One day when the old man’s sons were out in the field baling hay, a large rattlesnake bit John and he became deathly ill. The doctor came, examined John, and told the old man, “I am not sure he will live or die; all we can do now is wait and pray.”
Quickly the old man called his pastor and asked him to come pray for John. The pastor hurried to the home, knelt beside John’s bed and with the family gathered around, the preacher began to pray.
“O wise and righteous Father, we thank you that in thy wisdom thou has sent this rattlesnake to bite John and bring him to his senses. Thou knowest that he has not set foot inside thy church house for years, and that it is doubtful that in all these years he has ever felt the need for prayer.
“Now I ask Lord that thou wouldst let this be a valuable lesson to John and bring him to genuine repentance of his sins. And O Father, wilt thou please send another snake to bite Jake and another to bite Sam, and then, Lord, please send a big one to bite the old man.
“Father, thou knowest we have done everything we know to do to restore this family to faith, but our efforts have failed. It seems, Lord, that all our efforts have not accomplished what this one snake has done.
“Thus, Lord, we conclude that the only thing left that will do this family any good is more rattlesnakes. So, Lord, hear my prayer and send us bigger and better rattlesnakes as soon as you can. I pray all this in Jesus’ name. Amen.”
Now, frankly, I don’t believe the good Lord will send a rattlesnake to bite a wayward church member. No sir, God is love. But it does make me wonder what the Lord will have to do to persuade some of his wayward children to turn their heads toward home.
Be sure you understand that I am one pastor who does not believe that God sends a rattlesnake to get a sinner’s attention. No sir, God loves all his children, especially his wayward ones. And he expects us to love them too, and not condemn them for ignoring the church.
But if you have turned your back on God and his church, you might better watch where you step, just in case I am wrong.
