I went to church with a wonderful new friend today. And we sat and talked over a delicious sushi lunch for... well... I think it actually was hours! What an amazing time of fellowship. Jesus... you're everywhere! I walked away from my day feeling so encouraged, blessed, challenged and motivated.
Here are some of my thoughts from today.
We are not just called, as Christians, to invite people to church in hopes that they will come to believe in Jesus through whatever goes on inside those walls. The church is meant to be a body. United. Strong. Loving. Compassionate. But what happens when someone within the body is struggling? We should be there to help, support, love unconditionally... but sometimes in place of unity comes division, condemnation, separation and people leave the church. Its wrong.
When a part of my body hurts, every last inch of me knows it. Even if its just a little paper-cut. I notice it until its better. I don't necessarily have to work on it for it to get better, because God created my body in a way that it sort of heals itself. Sometimes it takes time. Sometimes a scar remains. For some people an injury never truly goes away and it is a daily struggle that they work at overcoming... minute by minute for the rest of their lives.
Don't you think it should be the same way with the body of Christ? When one member is hurting or struggling, we should all be aware. We should all be there to help out in whatever way we can. Whether it is through encouragement, being there to listen, pray, instruct, love... we should BE THERE. The whole time. I don't want to say that we need to FIX people. That is not our job. We are not the judge of what is right and wrong. If someone tells me that they are struggling with something, or hurt by something, I want to be there for them. Not just for the moment that we are sitting together and having a cup of coffee. I want to BE THERE. The whole time. Even if they struggle with the same issue for the rest of their life. "Seventy times seven".... isn't thats how often we are to forgive each others sins? So what if its a daily struggle? Every Christian is a part of the Body of Christ. It doesn't matter what denomination you are, how long you've been a Christian, how old you are, what country you're from... WE are the body. We need to work together, and be there for one another. Otherwise, we lose.
If I can't be there for my brothers and sisters in Christ... what kind of ministry is that? Here come to my church, come join the body of Christ... but once we've "fixed you" and you're in... you're on your own... and if you do something I don't agree with and know is 'wrong', you're out.... because you should know better than that. Ya, thats not the Jesus I believe in. The Jesus I believe in ate with the 'worst' of sinners. The Jesus I believe in washed His disciples' feet. The Jesus I believe in said "If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her". The Jesus I believe in loves unconditionally. The Jesus I believe will NEVER leave me or forsake me... no matter what it is that I have done, or what it is that challenges me.
God has called me to love those around me. Unconditionally. With his love. To live a life of ministry. Everywhere. In my work place. In my family. With my friends. In my church. For every second of the rest of my life. It doesn't have to be dramatic. I don't have to stand on a table and shout it to the world. But it does have to be real, true, authentic. It has to be visible in every moment of my life, through the words I speak and the way I act. It has to come from my heart. My heart, Jesus' home.
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