THE MOST PAINFUL DIVISION
One time Jesus entered a house, and the crowds began to gather again. Soon He and His disciples couldn’t even find time to eat. When His family heard what was happening, they tried to take Him away. “He’s out of His mind,” they said.
Mark 3:20-21 (NLT)
No division or resistance you face is fun, but let’s be honest; some pains hurt worse than others. The greatest church hurt I have ever encountered has come from those I’m closest to. Think of how many people have fallen away because of a church hurt. Jesus was no stranger to this. Notice the first sting doesn’t come from the outside but from within. Think about it: Jesus’ family and friends began to try to stop Him from doing His ministry. Notice what they say, He’s out of His mind. If the Son of God gets hurt and cut by those closest to Him, rest assured you will face the same bumps and bruises along the way.
Too many people fall away from the church or give up on it when they get hurt, but Jesus didn’t. I don’t love the church because it's perfect. I love the church because Jesus did. I can’t claim to be a follower of His if I don’t follow in His footsteps. If you will, Jesus was constantly hurt and betrayed by those in church, but He kept loving and showing up. This might be harsh, but if someone gives up entirely on the church, then they aren’t a disciple of Jesus because to be a disciple means I have died to my rights. I’m not advocating staying in a broken or abusive church. Clearly, there are times to leave the church, but church hurts don’t give us the right to throw stones and give up on the church entirely.
The truth is, if you have been in the church long enough, you know that some of the greatest joys and some of the greatest wounds come from the church. God has designed it so that we cannot thrive in our faith without others. We need the church; we need to meet so we don’t drift away from the faith entirely. To this day, I haven’t met anyone who isn’t regularly connected to church who isn't on fire for Jesus. Coming to church doesn’t mean you will be like Jesus, but not going will guarantee you won’t. The reason we cannot give up on the church is Jesus didn’t. We must fight for unity, and sometimes we must fight just to show up because of what we’ve faced, but God will honor our commitment! He is faithful!
APPLICATION:
Commit to show up each week to Church.
PRAYER:
Ask the Spirit if there is any church hurt you are carrying. Is there anyone in the church who has caused you to pull away from God or to carry a wound that still affects you? Ask the Spirit to reveal someone who has blessed you in the church. Send them a note or text and thank them for their investment in your life.
“… Our Father in heaven…” Matthew 6:9b (NLT)
- What do You want to say to me today as my Father?
“… may Your name be kept holy.” Matthew 6:9c (NLT)
- What do You want to reveal to me about Your power today?
“May Your Kingdom come soon.” Matthew 6:10a (NLT)
- Help me make Your priorities my priorities today.
“Give us today the food we need,” Matthew 6:11 (NLT)
- Is there anything specific You want me to do with my time or the people I’m around today?
“and forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who sin against us” Matthew 6:12 (NLT)
- Reveal to me anyone I need to forgive or ask for forgiveness.
“And don’t let us yield to temptation…” Matthew 6:13a (NLT)
- Is there anywhere I’m vulnerable to temptation?