“I love Jesus, I just don’t love the church. It’s messed-up and people are even messier.” *

I fully agree with the messed-up church statement. Oh yeah, I definitely love Jesus and I have experienced the frustration of a messed-up church. Some of you may be old enough to recall the Sunday School or VBS poem with hand motions, "Here's the church, here’s the steeple, open the doors and see all the people.” Where there are people, there is a mess. All across the world, the same is true. People = mess.

Church goers and those who have never stepped into a church. Hearts devoted to Jesus and hearts far away from Him. It. Just. Doesn’t. Matter. It’s universal. It separates us and when we understand our commonality and extend grace, it (messy humanness) can draw us together. I have learned how understanding brings out a hidden beauty in being broken.

Beauty in our collective brokenness is revealed when we choose to see we are individually broken. Looking into the mirror, rather than the microscope of criticism. The struggle I do not have in common with someone can prompt me to zoom in on that brokenness and trigger pride that lies. “You are better. You never say _____ or hang out with ______ or go to _____.” Really? The audacity!

I am speaking to myself here. There have been many times when I sense the Holy Spirit reminding me that I am no different, no better, and certainly no more qualified than the person I judged moments before. I’m not boasting because I have nothing to boast about. It’s humbling to admit that, yes, I judge others. Sigh.

Without my relationship with Christ, I would be unable to love Jesus and the people gathered together for corporate worship. I said yes to Jesus decades ago, and I am still learning. I stopped attending church when I was a freshman in high school. I decided the church was full of hypocrites and I knew I wanted nothing to do with them. I could blame my decision on others, the hypocrites. It isn’t my fault I don’t do church. It’s the messed-up people in church who are at fault. Not me.

Years later, I began to learn about Jesus, brokenness, grace, truth and love. I’ve been crawling my way through the sands of time and the understanding has come in teeny, tiny, microscopic ways. What I would have missed out on had I stayed planted in my limited perspective! I would not have moved forward in my most important relationship with Christ. I know all of my relationships would have suffered and I would not have grown in my understanding of what love truly looks like.

So yes or no? Do you love Jesus? I pray that you do. Do you love the church? I understand if you said no. I pray that you will be brave enough to look in the mirror and ask the One you love (I am referring to Jesus) if not loving His Church, His Bride, is okay. I fully believe that if you ask out of a sincere heart, you will discover beauty in our collective brokenness. Embrace all that God has for you. It is in walking the broken path of humanity with others where beauty, and joy filled relationships are found.

Where do you find yourself today? Yes or no?

*Thank you for the message today, Brian. It was both convicting and inspiring.

Becky on: Feb 26th, 2024 06:34pm

I love the sentence, “It is in walking the broken path of humanity with others where beauty, and joy filled relationships are found.”

Wow!