Serving God and Others: Devotions From Time of GraceНамуна

Sometimes church people aren’t your friends

Now you will think I’ve popped some important screws in the brain. All pastors, including me, want people to love church life and attend worship and enjoy the fellowship and get involved in ministry and service.

But there’s a dark side, and you need to be aware of it. People, including Christians, are still flawed and sinful, and the organizations they build are flawed and sinful too. You would expect to be hurt in situations where there is no Jesus. But Jesus himself gave his disciples a shocking warning: “You must be on your guard. You will be handed over to the local councils and flogged in the synagogues” (Mark 13:9).

Church people can be harsh, judgmental, fearful of change, and slow to welcome outsiders. Church people can be territorial, cliquish, political, and control obsessive. Did I mention rude and unfeeling?

In spite of his warning, Jesus didn’t dismiss the value of church fellowship. The Word urges us not to forsake assembling ourselves together. Just be on your guard. Knowing that some people have been wounded or turned off by church people, you can be a healer both in and out of the church.

After all, on judgment day it will not matter so much on which congregational membership roster your name appears but whether or not you are connected to Christ in faith.