Christlike vs cliquey

A very important aspect of church life involves the relationships you should be building with one another. The best way to create meaningful relationships is to be active in each other's lives outside of the bricks and mortar. Why then do we as people tend to fall into the old high school habit of cliques? The bible speaks to us against such behaviors throughout the bible. I am only going to list a small portion of bible verses regarding this subject otherwise this would be an extremely long blog post. First let us look at what the gospel of John says. John 15:12-15 “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you. No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you." This particular scripture is two fold. First, it offers the readers the notion that we should show other people the same love that Christ has shown us. The second is this, That because we are Christ's children if we are striving to be Christlike we are friends of Jesus. This also reveals to us that because of our friendship with Jesus we are blessed with the knowledge and understanding of his teachings. True friends share their hopes, dreams, emotions, accomplishments, and let downs. We can be great or ugly and our true friends won't be negatively affected by such attitudes. Why then do cliques show up amongst a people who are supposed to be dedicated to loving one anther, therefore being Christlike, translating into being friendly to those who are in a congregation of believers with each other? How then could we be so self absorbed? Here is the definition of the word clique, noun 1. a small group of people, with shared interests or other features in common, who spend time together and do not readily allow others to join them. If this is the truest definition why do churches so easily fall into this problem? The way to change is to heed the scriptures in Colossians 3:12-14 Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. TO me this verse implies that our ONLY common bond in the church is Salvation and love. If we're all operating as persons who have been renewed through salvation, our connection is Christ. Why must we separate within our own congregations based on where we live, our social status, where we went to high school, past churches, or old friends? Am I saying that people can't have somebody they're closer to than another within the church body? Not really, that's not the point. It's more about the exclusion of an individual who may just need a friend, an introverted person who can't just talk over everybody. Maybe it's a family that is extremely busy and just needs to know they're loved. Retention in churches happens through the gospel, love, and respect. My challenge to you is represented in Romans 12:10 Love one another with brotherly affection. Out do one another in showing honor. This should be our competition. Those that aren't attending churches in today's culture should see us living out these scriptures. This is what should set us apart 1 Peter 2:1-5 So put away all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander. Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation— if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good. As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. Let's show the love that Christ shows us to our fellow believers and unbelievers alike. Let's stop separating ourselves over trivial matters that will fade and change. Let's stop our churches from being the "bless me clubs" that pat each other on the back just for showing up. Let's reach out to that person who has been showing up for weeks and leaves with nobody speaking to them. Let's invite that new couple out to lunch after service. Let's take the time to get to know the people that God has clearly put into our lives. We are rejected by the world's standards because of our belief in God. Why then should we separate ourselves into cliques and reject each other?