overcoming church hurt: a Biblical perspective
one verse destroys this concept
Luke 23:33–34 (NKJV)
33 And when they had come to the place called Calvary, there they crucified Him, and the criminals, one on the right hand and the other on the left.
34 Then Jesus said, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do." And they divided His garments and cast lots.
this verse should destroy the entire church hurt argument. just in case it doesn't, let's talk about it. first, two points.
no one has been more hurt by the church, than Christ.
church-hurt should not prevent you from being Christ-like.
i'm not being inconsiderate. just a few Sundays ago something happened to me at church that hurt. but as i'm writing now, i realize that some people don't know how much damage their selfishness can cause.
the root of church hurt stems from people thinking more about themselves than they do others. which is unbiblical.
Philippians 2:3–4 (NKJV)
3 Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself.
4 Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others.
please hear me, you can not play the role of the victim in Christ's Church.
i am not saying that you can't be wronged. but in Christ's Church, we have victory through Him. victory over anything anyone could ever say or do to you.
let me put it like this.
imagine leaving the hospital because there were sick people there.
that is exactly how it sounds when people say they're leaving the church because of x reason.
now there are some legitimate reasons to leave a church, and i encourage you to use your discernment.
apart from the obvious, Christianity is about covenant. you can't divorce your wife because your neighbor is mean.
let me give you some practical ways to deal with church hurt.
remember, there are some very obvious situations in which you don't walk away from a church, but RUN, but i'll cover that later.
forgive by giving.
learn to forgive people that has not apologized. giving helps that.
speak up.
it's not always easy, but tell them their actions hurt you.
pray.
this isn't 3rd because it's the last resort, it's 3rd because there is a good chance that prayer will lead you to doing 1 and/or 2.
Jesus is the head of the Church and has set a remarkable example for us of how we should deal with pain, struggle and suffering.
one of the fruits of the Spirit is the ability to suffer long. so why do we leave so soon?
i've heard some absolute horror stories about the church. from publicly exposing and shaming an individual to betrayal and backstabbing. spiritual and physical abuse, manipulation and the sorts.
leave that church, but don’t leave The Church.
just remember, you don't go to a hospital and expect to see whole people.
apart from God's grace, you can't go to church and expect to see all Holy people. but the Church must be the closest thing to it and constantly striving for it.
we need to take the attention away from ourselves, even in the cases where we've been wronged.
whether you've hurt someone in the church, or have been hurt by someone in the church, we all need to ensure that Jesus remains at the center of it all.
if we follow the instructions He has laid before us, we will consider others emphatically and divorce from any ounce of pride that wants to make it all about us.
i pray this blesses you.
o.
Amen ✍️