Beyond Common Sense

I recently read a Facebook feed filled with disparaging comments against a church I once attended. It’s been years since we were there, but it was always a special place. In fact, every church we have ever been in has been and continues to be a special place: God’s house—God’s family.

It’s easy to look at all the difficulties the church has, all the spots and wrinkles. Jude has much to say about that. So, why do I look upon church with fondness when so many are ready to trash the whole idea?

What I love about church:

1. The music: Music has always been important to me, so important that I chose to go to college and earn a Church Music degree. I thrill to play the organ or piano in church. I love to sing the rich harmonies and doctrine of the hymns, the personal connection through songs, and the words of testimony in the spiritual songs. (Col. 3:16).
2. The preaching: Even as a child, I loved preaching. I know. I’m weird, but I loved it even more when I began attending a church where the pastor went to the pulpit with his Bible and said, “Open your Bibles…,” and he taught and challenged me from God’s Word.
3. The fellowship: My friends have always been my church friends. For most of our married lives, Tom and I lived away from family, which only made us gravitate to the church even more for our friendships. But those friendships are a two-way street. I’ve heard it said that the friends at the bar care more than the people at church. I wonder if that person dedicated as much time to church fellowship as he did to bar fellowship. Proverbs 18:24 (NKJV) “A man who has friends must himself be friendly, But there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.”
4. The safe place: I always felt safe at church. I know this is not true for all people, and I can’t imagine the scars those kinds of hurts leave behind when a spiritual leader breaks that trust. The Lord has sheltered me from that, and I praise Him for it. Does that mean no one has ever hurt me at church? Folks, I’m a pastor’s wife!  Satan put a big red X on my back and the backs of my husband and children, knowing that if he could make a leader fall, the damage would be much greater on God’s church. Yes, people can be so cruel. Yes, words DO hurt, but Jesus is ALWAYS our example. Isaiah 53:7 “He was oppressed and He was afflicted, Yet He opened not His mouth; He was led as a lamb to the slaughter, And as a sheep before its shearers is silent, So He opened not His mouth. “Hmmm. I wonder why God put that phrase in there twice? I have found it the better part of wisdom to keep silent in times of attack. And then there is this: Proverbs 26:4 “Answer not a fool according to his folly, lest thou also be like unto him.”
5. The love: The primary fruit of the Spirit is love. Does that mean everyone is going to be loving? No, but I don’t need to worry about them. I only need to worry about me. Look at all the opposites of the fruit:

Love—Hate
Joy—Sorrow
Peace—Anxiety
Long-suffering—impatience
Gentleness—Harshness
Goodness—Badness
Faith—Unbelief
Meekness—Rudeness
Temperance—Hot head

Which list will you choose?

1 John 4 has a lot to say about love, particularly God’s love. 1 John 4:8, “God IS love!” It’s a tall order to follow His example, but if we are going to emulate our loving, Heavenly Father, then all we say and do needs to be seasoned with love.

It’s so easy to get on the wrong side of things. There are plenty of reasons to be discouraged about the church. Imperfect people make up the church. Injustices happen. Feelings get hurt.

 I once received some very good advice through a sermon. The evangelist was telling a story about a woman who wasn’t getting along with someone else in the church. She complained to him and asked what she should do. “Go and bake her a cake.” That wasn’t the answer she wanted, but she did it, and to her surprise, it worked. Whatever the disagreement was, it disappeared. I’ve done this over and over again. How does it work? Well, you get your eyes off yourself, and you start being the hands, feet, and heart for Jesus. Oh, what a balm to the soul!

Most importantly, remember that church is primarily about our relationship with God, not people. I am coming to church to focus on Him, not the people around me. Yes, I care about them, but if I look to people for the things I should be looking to God for, like love, joy, acceptance, and strength, to name a few, I will be sorely disappointed and expecting more than I should from others.

Keep your eyes fixed on Him, “looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God” (Hebrews 12:2).