Christians are called to worship and grow with other Christians.
A friend of mine and I were discussing the sad, but all too often true, fact that people in churches don’t always act very Christlike. She said that her pastor had recently given a sermon about how people with impure hearts can poison a church.
I gave our conversation a lot of thought. I asked myself, where would Satan like most to be? At first, the obvious answer may be at the local strip cub or on the street corner with the drug dealers. But, how much further damage can he do at those places? When we dig deeper, I think the answer is most likely among Christian people and specifically in the Church.
In the very first chapter of Mark, in the Bible, Jesus comes across a man with an evil spirit in the synagogue. Does evil know no shame? Nope. Think about it a minute. Who are the people who are most capable of defeating evil? Christians. When are Christians the most powerful? They are the most powerful, when they are gathered together as a group, praying as one, with one vision and one heart and mind.
Where is that most likely to happen? Church. So, where would the one who lives to cause division, who lives to lie, cheat and steal want to be more than anywhere else? Yep, it’s the Church.
Now, don’t get me wrong. There’s no tug-of-war or great dueling scene between Jesus and evil in the Bible. When evil sees Jesus, it flees. When Christians keep their eyes focused on God and not themselves, the Church is unstoppable. It becomes a vibrant force to be reckoned with. But, when we become focused on ourselves or our own visions or desires and forget to pray and forget to wait on God’s answers or bend to His will, chaos occurs.
Chaos is ugly and painful. Chaos, disorder and hurt feelings are not part of Jesus’ plans for the Church. The Church is supposed to be a sanctuary where believers can grow in love and serve together. The Church is supposed to be a place where wounded souls and seekers can find rest and answers.
I recently read an article about how there are people who have spent their entire lifetimes attending church, who are leaving. They are sick of the fighting and people acting anything, but Christlike. They aren’t giving up their faith; they are giving up the Church. They are called the Dones.
I couldn’t believe my eyes. I get it. People can be a nightmare. People are broken. Broken people can say and do very hurtful things. Broken people can take their eyes off of God and can help cause chaos. But, we are all called to be a part of the Body of Christ with our unique gifts and talents. Most of the New Testament is dedicated to teaching that very concept.
We aren’t supposed to just decide that we’ve had enough. If we are breathing, Jesus wants us to participate with other Christians in some way, to spread the Good News. Sitting at home and reading the Bible, is not spreading the Good News. We can’t share wisdom with others sitting at home and we can’t learn from them either.
Perhaps what we really need to remember is that there is a force that would very much like for us just to stay mad and stay home. We’re much less effective there. But, Jesus has called us to love one another and to forgive, just like He did. Can not participating truly be an option?
I pray that all of the Dones will have a change of heart and return to the Church. We need each other. Non-believers need us. A dark world needs us to be united and to stand together. Isn’t that what we are called to do?
Have an awesome day!
Wendy 🙂