Why do we expect so much of people?
Why do we think they need to act, think, speak, dress, a certain way to fit into our idea of what they SHOULD be?
And when said people do stray from what we WANT to see while they are a part of our lives….why do we get so offended and separate ourselves from them?? What gives us the right to judge?
If we continue to stay so narrow minded and judgmental and dare I say…sensitive…the CHURCH of believers in Christ will continue to divide, alter, and morph into something that looks so far from what God intended…that Christ won’t be recognizable in it.
That to me is terrifying…the idea that one day the idea of “CHURCH” in this world will not even remind people of CHRIST anymore…and instead it will just bring to mind HUMAN desires…HUMAN accomplishments…..and HUMAN characteristics. Why do we allow that to happen? The simple answer is…we have created the wrong “mold” for what “CHURCH” and “CHRISTIANS” should be…and our expectations aren’t completely correct…making our result flawed and continuously changing.
Before I can go any further at all…we must first come to one realization. “CHURCH” makes no promise of perfection, or of even getting close. It isn’t possible to expect perfection out of a body of believers who are essentially saved sinners who constantly battle within themselves…their spirit and their flesh literally at war with each other. The definition of WAR is “a struggle or competition between opposing forces or for a particular end”. Show me a place that you can bring together multiple individuals at “war” within themselves to overcome their fleshly desires and follow the spirit that isn’t full of a little conflict or drama…its just not possible.
Now that we have agreed that there is no such thing as PERFECT when it comes to the “CHURCH”…let us also now consider the way in which God intended us to fellowship as believers underneath the blanket term “CHURCH”.
When it comes to following Christ…the clear example of what “CHURCH” should be can be found in the New Testament. I often think about how exciting it would have been to be one of these early Christians… because they actually were a part of the story we all now study. They were brave, and selfless, and they lived out their faith because they knew no other way or option. Acts paints a beautiful picture for us of what those early believers did to live out their faith;
“42 They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. 43 Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. 44 All the believers were together and had everything in common. 45 They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. 46 Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, 47 praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.”(Acts 2:42-47)
To me, this passage is the framework for how we should be living as believers. Its not about the times we meet, the type of church service we attend…the clothes we wear…it is about a spirit of love and fellowship that we share with each other and also those around us. Why do you think the number of people saved was added to DAILY? Was it some magical outreach strategy or new church series that gathered their attention? Perhaps a billboard or church sign with a witty saying to catch their eye? No…it was the love they saw and the attitude of the believers towards each other. Attitudes of compassion and generosity, hospitality and sincerity. Now…let me make sure I am clear…Is there anything wrong with outreach strategy or billboards or signs about church? NO!!!! Please hear me…the idea of these things are not wrong…but these things alone cannot reach a lost and dying world. The backing of our actions must be the intent to love others selflessly, the willingness to give of ourselves and our possessions, and the selfless act of allowing Jesus to be the main reason we do what we do!
This is where I think our actions are getting muddied up in the muck and the junk that the world wants us to focus on. We become distracted from the main goal. We stop loving people and instead we start to SEE them a little bit more…and then start to judge their actions, their motives, their lives. Jealousy and resentment set in…and then Satan has us right where he wants us…blinded by human interests…and resistant to the GRACE that God would want us to extend to our fellow man…to those who need to see LOVE from us…not HATE between us.
Ultimately…the real tragedy is when “CHURCH” becomes about “US” and not about “HIM”. When the things we focus on are OUR accomplishments and not HIS GRACE and LOVE. You can’t fabricate authentic loving relationships in the name of JESUS CHRIST…you have to CREATE AUTHENTIC loving relationships through the INTENTIONAL pursuit of JESUS CHRIST! It is only through dying to ourselves…through choosing to focus on the face of Jesus not the problems of this world…that we will be able to love others and live our lives truly and selflessly for the King.
In the majority of today’s churches our mold of what CHURCH should be is wrong. It’s not a perfect number…not a perfect worship band….its not a compelling speaker….its not an atmosphere or environment, its not a type of teaching or a curriculum. CHURCH as GOD intended it to be is a way of life. One that isn’t easily confused with anything else…one that is set apart…and causes others to not only have their needs met through our generosity and hospitality..one that causes others to see we are different and DESIRE to have that difference become a part of their life. The DIFFERENCE in us…and the rest of the world…has to be based in a LOVE so deep for CHRIST that we choose to be selfless…and to put our individual desires to rest.
Only through dying to self…and submitting to this idea of CHURCH…will our mission to spread the GOSPEL truly be successful. Until then…if we just keep following the same old mold of what to say, what to do, where to go, how to look, etc….we will just continue to fail. Because when the mold isn’t right….the end result is never quite what it was intended to be.
COALS OF MY HEART 