Last night at Bible Study, Beth said something that really hit home with me. She made the comment, that so many times people, in the midst of deep, real pain and tragedy will ask, "Where is God?!" But in turn, God replies by asking, "Where are my people?! I am where My people are!" It started me thinking... It's so true! There's a lot of hurt outside the four walls of our Churches and so many of God's people aren't giving everything they have to serve and to love that world unconditionally. Instead they're arguing amongst themselves over spilt kool-aid on the carpet and next week's bulletin. I don't understand! When did the Christian life become all about us and our stainglassed Church buildings? We're wasting our time becoming enemies with our own family instead of working together to strengthen and grow it! The Church building should be the place for our send off into a hurting world. We are friends and family meeting together in the Lord, and meant to be a tremendous encouragement to each other so that we can BE the body He wants us to be. HIS body - reaching to HIS world - to the people HE loves. When we get sick and our physical bodies don't work the way they were made to, we feel miserable and all our energy is put into healing what is hurting. My friend, when the body of Christ spends so much time in strife and frustration against itself, it seems to me that it is acting in sickness! It pains me that we would act so amongst ourselves. The battle is not between believers! - That's what Satan wants! We've got to overcome! We've got to stop fighting against ourselves and turn against Satan's schemes. The real battle is out there! Let's ask the Lord to help us heal His body, and put our energy first to do our part to mend relationships within so we can then TOGETHER build relationships without!
My Pastor loves to say, "We are never more the Church than when we are outside these four walls..." Do you agree?
Hannah
The Church could be defined as: The New Covenant Community of the Spirit. Thus, I would go even farther and say that because the Church is not the walls but the community of believers - we should remember, as believers, we are always the Church. With this in mind we should live by the power of the Spirit in the community of other believers to fulfill God's mission to the world. (Maybe a simple yes would have sufficed...)
ReplyDeleteMy Dear Hannah,
ReplyDeleteThe church (and our church) will continue to become more of what the body of Christ is supposed to be in a hurting world when more and more followers of Christ like you come into the body. I love you for many reasons, such as how much of an encouragement you are to me; but I love you most of all because of how you love Jesus and others around you.
God bless you, Hannah.