Free Love- does the church have it wrong?

I am in no way writing this to slam the church. I have gone thru times in my life without a church and times with- and I must say- the times with it are better than without. There is a bond, an accountability, a unity that comes with being part of a church that is not easy to find thru aother avenues...

However, I have been completely turned off by the church at times. I have to always remember that, like me, the people who attend and make up the church body are not perfect beings by any stretch of the imagination. They are just people like anyone else in the world. Only difference really is that they trust Jesus has died for their sins and so they are forgiven.

When you read the Bible- the love that Jesus showed to people was a love that met them right where they were. He did not wait to love on them until they did this, said that....you know?

I look at the many Bible stories of people making wrong choices, sinning. God didn't stop loving them. If there was  a breakdown in the relationship, it was because the person walked away from Him- He wasn't walking away from them!

That is part of our imperfection- we as people- make other people feel they aren't "good enough"- haven't "done enough". GUESS WHAT?! NONE OF US ARE GOOD ENOUGH. NONE OF US COULD DO ENOUGH! One would hope that a person who goes to church every Sunday would understand this better than someone who doesn't....sadly- that doesn't always seem to be true!
Here is WHY we who are in church should know that :

Isaiah 64:6

New International Version (NIV)

⁶ All of us have become like one who is unclean,
and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags;
we all shrivel up like a leaf,
and like the wind our sins sweep us away.

I don't know why people in church act better than others, or say and do things that make others feel as if they are less. The sad thing is, I know MANY, MANY Church-goers who do not make others feel that way. However, the ones that do, turn people away from God- from church.

I wish that love was freely given to ALL (wo)men by ALL (wo)men. But, the reality is that none of us is that perfect. We are all going to mess up in one way or another. The best we can hope for is that when we do, we can realize we have and humble ourselves to admit it, ask for forgiveness and try to make things right.

Withholding love from others, requiring they change in order to feel loved and accepted- that is so far from how my loving God acts. He gives love FREELY to all who come to Him. He already loves you before you come, in fact, because He created you. Do you know Him?? I hope so....if you don't....it would be my pleasure to introduce you! :)