A sister in one congregation related an amazing story to my wife. It seems that a skunk (or two?) got into the crawl space under the church building. An exterminator was called, and he promptly killed the skunk. The problem was, he left it there. When everyone showed up for mid-week services, the smell was so overpowering that everyone got nauseated. The smell remained on their clothing even after they returned home. It sounds humorous, but it must have been a real ordeal!

I wonder how many skunks get under churches. They perch under them and really make themselves known. They leave such an effect that it is often carried away from the church building upon the hearts, thoughts, and feelings of church members.

Pride is a skunk that gets under churches. Is anything more offensive than self-centered egotism? It keeps people from admitting their mistakes. It causes prejudice and haughtiness. God hates pride (Proverbs 8:13). Pride produces dishonor (Proverbs 11:2), strife (Proverbs 13:10), and destruction (Proverbs 16:18). Pride is a skunk!

Gossip is a skunk that gets under churches. It is halitosis of the heart. Every word that comes off the tongue of a gossip is foul! God hates it, and it ruins good churches (Proverbs 11:13). I imagine it runs people off, too!

Pettiness is a skunk that gets under churches. Bickering and arguing over the smallest matters is an embarrassment to faithful Christians, a black eye for the church’s reputation, and a rank reminder that a spiritual skunk is perched beneath the surface. Biting and devouring is a dangerous business (Galatians 5:15).

Lukewarmness is a skunk that gets under churches. The wishy-washy, uncommitted spirit of the Laodiceans nauseated God (Revelation 3:16). When a church just comes to keep house and is not involved, what a stench the church becomes to the community. A ho-hum attitude is a skunk that gets under churches.

We need to exterminate the skunks by removing them from the church and ridding ourselves of all attitudes and actions inconsistent with the will of Christ. We are to draw all men to Christ (cf. John 12:32; Daniel 12:2) rather than repel lost sinners or other brethren (cf. Acts 13:8). What kind of impression are you leaving on others? Babylon of old was in trouble; consequently, God said, “Its stench shall come up, and its ill savor shall come up” (Joel 2:20). May we learn from them, deciding instead to send up to heaven, and out toward others, “the savor of his knowledge in every place” (2 Corinthians 2:14). —Neal Pollard, Denver, Colorado