Hurt by Christians: 8 Days to Bring Healing and HopeНамуна

Be the church

1 Peter 4:10 instructs “each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.” God has given each one of us gifts, both spiritual and regular. We should use these gifts to serve others, both inside and outside of the church. We are called to serve and to be the least in the kingdom, all for the glory of God. This may mean that you agree to serve in a capacity that may not be your first choice, but it is a need in your church. 

John F. Kennedy famously said, “Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country.”  I feel the same way about the church; ask not what your church can do for you, but what you can do for your church. We are the body of Christ and we are the Church. Yes, there are benefits we receive by going to church, but too often Christians feel that church is simply something you “show up to” on Sunday and forget about the rest of the week. If we truly are the Church, we need to be concerned with how we are showing Christ’s love in everything we do, all week long. If we truly are the Church, we will let our emotions, feelings, hurts, and desires come second to furthering God’s kingdom here on earth. 

John the Baptist said about Jesus, “He must become greater; I must become less” (John 3:30). If we adopt this as Christians, we will put our desires and wants on the back burner. This means if someone offends us, if someone does not show love to us, or if another person or ministry is in the spotlight and we are not, we focus on being faithful to where we are called and proclaiming Jesus wherever we go. 

Paul wrote to Timothy on how “people ought to conduct themselves in God’s household, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and foundation of the truth” (1 Timothy 3:15). We have a responsibility as Christians, once we claim that we belong to Christ, to conduct ourselves in a manner that is worthy of that calling. We are not responsible for anyone but ourselves and we need to examine our heart daily, root out any sin that creeps its way in, and pursue holiness as Jesus is holy (1 Peter 1:16).

The church, although filled with flawed humans, has an important role to play in the redemptive plan of God. What was revealed through Israel in the old covenant now has a place for Jew and Gentile to come to the throne of grace and obtain the salvation promised to all who believe and repent. This is described in the Bible as a, “mystery, which for ages past was kept hidden in God, who created all things. His intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms, according to his eternal purpose that he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Ephesians 3:9-11).

The frustrations and struggles we face in church need to be laid at the foot of the cross so we can move forward and continue to fulfill the honor of being a part of this plan of salvation. This is true of all persecution we may face, which the Bible guaranteed would happen (2 Timothy 3:12). 

Read Hebrews 11, the heroes of faith who went before us, named and unnamed, who faced persecution and were martyred for their faith are an example to us all. When we put in perspective the rejection that we face at the hands of fellow Christians, we need to remember how small it really is in the history of faith, especially compared with the suffering that Jesus faced on the cross through no sin of His own. 

When we bless those who persecute us, when we love the unlovely, and when we share the hope of Jesus to those who are lost, we allow our fruit to be seen by all and the name of Jesus to continue to be proclaimed!

How am I being “the church” by what I do and say on a daily basis? 

Do I attend church for only what I receive or for also what I can give?  

Thank you for reading this Bible plan.  For more information on Discerning Dad including how to order the book, "Everyday Discernment: The Importance of Spirit-led Decision Making," please visit my website at https://discerning-dad.com/