The Hurting Church

The hurting church is not an occasional problem. More and more often we find people who have been hurt deeply within the family of God, leaving them worn and exhausted. More and more often we find leaders in conflict within the body of believers, robbed of the joy Jesus promised in Him. When we find this hurt hanging on to our own bruised soul, it can make us want to leave the church and sometimes even want to blame God who seems to have allowed it all.

Sadly, we have come to accept that this is the way church is. There is an epidemic of fractured believers out there and we have actually come to accept this as the norm. So we either stay away and let our hearts become cold and bitter...or we put on our Sunday best, say "life goes on" and implement a new vision or program and hope the problems will just go away. The hurt in individual hearts and churches gets buried...until it gets stirred up again.

Can we break this cycle that happens over and over in heart after heart, and church after church?

I am continually amazed at the simplicity of God's Word and the clear, direct instructions He shares with us. The Father's heart toward us, His children, is so open and loving as He instructs us in living in the day-to-day challenges.

The steps God gives us are simple, though not easy. They are steps that can help us move from being reactive in conflict to becoming proactive in guarding our hearts and our churches. And, as steps always do, they will take us to higher ground where we can live above disunity and confusion. The framework these steps are built on is love. Love is also the handrail that helps move us along from one step to another. Without love, the steps move us from the fulfillment of right living that God calls us to, to self- righteous living, which is hollow and void of the power of the Holy Spirit. God says our trademark will be love. "By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another" (John 13:35).

Step 1: Know your enemy
We don't like to focus on the devil. We don't want to give him any glory. Yet, in failing to listen to the warning of Scripture that the devil actually "prowls around like a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour" (1 Peter 5:8), we find ourselves consumed ("devoured!") by all kinds of agitations/irritations in one another and in the church.

Quarrels about how new programs are run, personalities of church leaders, different worship styles, people who "just don’t get it" the way we do, all begin to rob us of our joy and steal our effectiveness as a body of believers. And we are often clueless to what is really going on in the spiritual realm. Scripture says, "We wrestle not against flesh and blood but against principalities and powers..." (Ephesians 6:12). When in conflict with another believer, we need to ask ourselves the question, "Is there a greater power at work here?"

The answer in these situations is usually "yes." And the solution is so simple we miss it. As Christians we are in a fierce battle. But our opponent is in the spiritual realm. His mandate is to "kill, steal and destroy" (John 10:10). Instead of recognizing that, we engage in battle with one another, leaving scratches and scars, bruises and bleeding that sometimes takes years to heal and always leaves a mark. And the trademark of love becomes so faint, the world can hardly see it. Scripture tells us to "be alert, and resist the enemy" (1Peter 5:8,9) be on your guard and "stand against the schemes of the devil" (Ephesians 6:11). So when conflict strikes...know immediately who your opponent is...know immediately he has schemes and plans in place that will at best steal from you and at worst destroy God's people and their effectiveness.

Any pervasive, downward spiral needs to be called what it is. Be alert to the red flags. Our human nature wants to defend and justify ourselves. God knows the tendency of our hearts to go their own way. That is why He calls us to pray for our enemies (Matthew 5:44) and to do good to those who use us (Luke 6:27). (The trademark of love, remember?) Only the "God strength" in our lives, His strength at our point of weakness and frustration, can remedy this battle that is fought in the heavens, yet lived out on earth in our churches.

"Be alert and always keep on praying" (Ephesians 6:18) When prayer is no longer the oxygen of our spiritual soul or the heartbeat of our church, our defense is down. Praying for those who hurt us becomes something we don't even want to do. Neglect in prayer and in the spiritual training of the Word leaves us with open doors for the enemy to turn the battle on one another. It is so subtle and we can feel so justified, but the loss in our own hearts and in the Kingdom is an unnecessary tragedy. The stealing and robbing is done long before we have even recognized the enemy was at the door. Knowing he is prowling about keeps us in a proactive state and able to recognize and withstand his tactics.

Step 2: Keep short accounts
The truth of the Word of God in the instruction from Paul to "not let the sun go down on your anger" is so profoundly simple that we miss it (we just miss a lot of things God is trying to tell us).

The Bible often uses the picture of seeds and reaping and sowing. Seeds of irritations and annoyances, not weeded out and dealt with on a daily basis, grow in our hearts. When they are not dealt with as soon as we recognize them, they take root and each subsequent encounter with that same agitation, which will always be linked to some person, will cause that root to dig just a little deeper. The deeper it goes, the more bitter it gets.

Scripture tells us "a root of bitterness springs up and defiles many" (Hebrews 12:15). When it finally comes out, it defiles us and those around, and hurt is the result. When our own bitter roots come up we hurt others. That is why Proverbs 4:23 tells us "above all else guard your heart for it is the well spring of life." It is the very source of all we are. What is in our heart spills out of our mouth (Matthew 12:34), and it is by our very words that we often grieve the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 4:29, 30), and love goes out the window. The trademark that identified us as His disciples disappears and the world looking on can see no difference in us.

So guard your heart. Take stock every day. Holiness is truth in the inner part. Keep short accounts for your own heart's sake.

If the root is only just beginning in your own heart and still undetected by others, go to God and ask for its removal. You know when it is there. Ask for grace to be poured out in your heart so that you will have all the grace you need to deal with that particular situation and person. 2 Corinthians 9:8 says, "God is able to make all grace abound to you so that in all things and at all times having all that you need you will abound in every good work." If the root has already spilled out and hurt others, go and confess to them. Even if they do not receive you or do not own their part of the conflict, keep your own heart guarded and clean. You are only responsible for one heart. Unresolved conflict in the heart of another is God’s job to deal with. Go read Matthew 18. It's the biblical example to follow when dealing with conflict among believers.

The presence of God in a life and the degree of truth that is allowed in the inner part will be evident in the fruit of our lives. Watch the fruit in your own life and in the lives of others. The fruit gives us away (Matthew 7:20). If you have owned your part in a conflict and others refuse to do the same, give them grace, pray for them, and if necessary, distance yourself from the overflow of their bitter root until they allow God to do healing in their heart.

Always be alert to the seeds that you allow in your heart. They all eventually produce fruit of one kind or another. List the fruit of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faith, gentleness/humility, and self-control. (Galatians 5:22). Ask yourself the simple question: "What fruit of the Spirit is in short supply in my life right now?" Then take an honest look at the seeds that may have begun to take root in your heart.

Step 3: Don’t be afraid of accountability
It seems we have come to allow gossip, slander and anger to simply be overlooked and rationalized in our churches. We excuse the fractures among believers by telling ourselves that God is purging our church, He is bringing justice. We stand up and boldly say, “God is in control,” while tears fall and tender spirits get bruised and crushed. We forget that the enemy is alive and well, attempting to influence our choices in how we deal with these situations. We forget that for God to be in control of the moment, the conversation or the situation, we must ask Him to allow His Spirit to work in us and through us. Psalm 15 depicts the marks of an authentic Christian. It says, "He casts no slur on his fellowman...but honors those who fear the Lord." In any given troubling situation we need to honestly ask ourselves, "Am I making choices that allow God to be in control here or am I taking control?"

Proverbs 3:5,6 tells us to "trust in the Lord with your whole heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your path straight." If your own understanding is resulting in opinions and actions that bring division, be accountable for what is going on in your own heart.

God speaks harshly about the one who promotes division (Titus 3:10). If you are prompted to speak to one who is causing division, remember the trademark and go in love and in the power of the Holy Spirit. Don't be afraid to call or be called to accountability. We can run to God, our ever present help. God is Sovereign and He is the Great Redeemer. No matter how bad a situation is, if He is invited in, at any point, He will come in and redeem the situation, work things out for our good and His glory (Romans 8:28) and put a derailed train back on the tracks.

2 Chronicles 7:14 says, "If my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face, and turn from their wicked (selfish) ways, then I will heal their land" (their church, their heart). It's a sure promise!

Step 4: Acknowledge pride
Scripture says, "God resists, or opposes, the proud but gives grace to the humble" (James 4:6). Pride is a killer. It is one of the subtlest tools of the enemy. God actually resists the proud! Who would want to be opposed by God? Heck no, not me! Yet in the church we often do find pride, but it wears a different cloak than it does out in the world.

In Christian circles we know that pride in our position and possessions is not a godly thing. We scorn openly the pursuit of "fame and fortune" alone. Yet pride exists in our hearts and in our churches in two prominent ways that we often try to justify.

There is pride in standing for a "principle of righteousness" while walking away from reconciliation. Making such a stand is not wrong in itself; however it is very often accompanied by a lack of grace and a spiritual superiority that cuts off the Spirit of God from working in a situation. If you are ever tempted to "stand for righteousness" against another Christian brother or sister, check if your trademark of love is visible, make sure your heart is clean in all the secret places and that you have done all you can to live at peace (Romans 12:18). If the basis for your stand is your own pride be very careful, for God does resist the proud.

The second place pride plays a major role in the church is in the area of spiritual gifts. You may have a discerning heart or a prophetic gift. God may reveal truth to you in a situation or even in the life of another. Again, be very careful. God calls us first to prayer and often, to nothing more. If words are to be spoken God will clearly reveal that, but the first task is to obey the call to prayer.

Much damage has been done in the church when someone feels they have received a word from God and simply talks, rather than prays, about it. If you think you sense something pray, pray, PRAY! And God will reveal if there is anything else He requires. God's whisper in our Spirit will never be in conflict with what He directs in His Word. When we speak in spiritual pride, the Spirit is grieved and we cut off that which God was at work doing in our lives and in the situation. (1 Corinthians 13) The simple question to ask before opening your mouth is: "Will this lift Jesus higher or will this lift me higher?"

Be slow to speak, especially words that sow negative seeds about another, and be quick to listen. Ephesians 4:29,30 says, "Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God..."

Step 5: Use the opportunity for growth
When we recognize there has been hurt in our church, we must be willing to take a stand to say what will be different from this day forward. So often we experience hurt within the church walls and we retreat for a while, only to return to find a new vision or a new program and a turning of the page to "press on" and "forget what is behind" without ever acknowledging why we got to the hurtful point we did.

If there is one thing we have learned throughout history, is that it repeats itself. Struggles with pride and accountability, with tending the seeds of our heart and not recognizing our enemy are day-to-day struggles. Unless we recognize where we have been in hurting times and plant some stakes that serve as markers to check us when we tend to spiral into the same patterns, we have not taken the opportunity to mature and move ahead in our journey with God as a church. Ask yourself: "Am I willing to acknowledge my part and take steps to prevent a repeat?"

When conflict threatens your heart and your church, as it always will, seek first to be intentional about raising the banner of prayer in your life and in your church. This invites the Spirit of God to be at work in the lives of those involved and minimizes our tendency to lean on our own understanding. It moves us toward recognizing our utter dependence on God and God alone as the hope of the hurting church.

If you are part of a church that is experiencing hurt and conflict, confusion and disorder, God gives a measuring stick to determine what value system is at work. James 3: 13-17 talks about two kinds of wisdom, one, which does not come from heaven, and one that does. The one not based on heavenly values is centered on earthly values with envy and selfish ambition at the core. Not hard to spot. The trademark of love will be blatantly absent.

The wisdom based on heavenly values will be pure, peace loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere.

This higher value system can be reached by applying these five steps based on the foundation of love – love that comes from the heart of the Father to our own individual heart. Then the world will see our trademark and glorify our Father who is in heaven.

Tend your heart wisely! The state of your soul, the health of your church and the world that is watching depends on it.

Faith in Action: The Good News

The countless number of things that heartlessly ravage "the least of these" in our world is overwhelming to someone reading about them for the first time, or even overwhelming to someone who has no idea how to go about alleviating the world's pain. As Christians, we must not stick our heads in the sand and pretend that the world is doing fine just because we are. We must not turn our eyes away like the priest and the Levite in the story of the good Samaritan, walking by those suffering on the other side of the road - our neighbors. We must face the brutal facts about poverty and injustice - only then can we take the first steps to respond.

There is something so much greater at work here! If you ache for a better world but are engulfed by a sense of hopelessness, I have some really really good news for you! Centuries ago there was a man named Jesus who walked this messed up world too. In a time when the Romans were running the show, hope was in short supply for the Jewish people. It was in this context that the son of a carpenter from a town called Nazareth stood up in a local synagogue and read a scroll from the prophet Isaiah.

Unrolling it, he found the place where it is written: "The Spirit of the Lord is on me because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor."...The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on him, and he began by saying to them, "Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing." (Luke 4:17-21)

Imagine that you're a Jew back then listening to your local Home Depot guy say these things. Weird right? Isaiah had prophesied that a King was coming who would usher in a kingdom unlike anything the world had ever seen. Could it be that Isaiah's prophecies were really coming true with this guy? Was is really possible that justice, peace and righteousness were about to be established forever? Would this King really bring healing to the parched soil, the feeble hands, the shaky knees, the fearful hearts, the blind, the deaf, the lame, the mute, the brokenhearted, the captives, and the sinful souls, and would proclaim the year of jubilee for the poor? (Isaiah 35:1-6, 53:5, 61:1-2) Well Jesus' answer was a YES to that, declaring that "Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing."

What a mission for one man! Of course the nature and work of Jesus Christ is much fuller than we can understand, using us now to do his work before he comes again. Stay tuned in October for a more complete picture of Jesus' mission and what it means for every human being on this planet.

In the meantime, check out a couple of really awesome books. When Helping Hurts by Steve Corbett and Brian Fikkert is a great book moving from the foundational concepts about poverty (Who are the poor?), to principles (Should we do relief, rehab, or development?), to practical strategies. (How can we actually help the poor domestically? internationally?) Another great book is The Hole in Our Gospel by Richard Stearns, the president of World Vision US. (If you can't get this from me already, I LOVE World Vision!) It outlines Stearns' story of how he left worldly success for something far more significant, and discovered the full power of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Stearns uses his story to demonstrate how the whole gospel was and is always meant to be a world-changing social revolution, a revolution that begins with us.

Check them out somewhere, or hit me up if you want to borrow my copies!

Blessings,
Adina

Faith in Action Pt.4: Stand Up For Those Who Can't

"Defend the cause of the weak and fatherless; maintain the rights of the poor and oppressed." Psalm 82:3

Millions of children around the world live without any adult care. Many have been orphaned; others abandoned or sold; some abducted and abused. All desperately need to be connected to even just one person who can ensure their basic needs are met and remind them that they are loved. They also need advocates who will speak on their behalf, maintain their rights, and protect them from exploitation and oppression.

Jesus identified himself with the lowest of the low in society (Check out Matthew 25:40). "Whatever you did for one of the least of these...you did for me." Think about that the next time you come across someone who you wouldn't even think about extending your hand to. See the face of Jesus in them.

As you put your faith into action  your own life will be transformed. I promise you! Seeing hope is seeing Jesus. The wonderful irony of Christ's words just leaves me in awe: "It is more blessed to give than to receive" (Acts 20:35).

Faith in Action Pt.3: When Disaster Strikes, Live Generously

"Yet I am poor and needy; come quickly to me, O God." Psalm 70:5

It only takes a few seconds for a person to lose everything. Earthquakes, floods, civil conflicts, and other disasters mercilessly reduce a person's existence to what they need to survive: food, water, and shelter. It is in one's moment of greatest need that help often arrives. God describes Himself as an ever-present help in times of trouble; He rescues the desperate and gives strength to the weary. But God does not work alone. He calls his people to join in the thrilling, privileged task of acting as His hand and feet, reaching those in need.

"If there is a poor man among you...do not be...tightfisted...Rather be openhanded and freely give him whatever he needs." Deuteronomy 15:7-8

Around the world, compassionate people live in openhandedness toward the poor and others in need. Are you one? Your genuine faith finds expression through your generosity; your gifts are a sacred offering to God. Whether it's your time, skills, talents, or money, I encourage you to practice the highest standard of stewardship, taking "pains to do what is right, not only in the eyes of the Lord but also in the eyes of men" (2 Corinthians 8:21).

Faith in Action

After my last post, I wanted to write some sort of follow up about how and why action in faith is so important. We can't just be inspired to think on faith, but instead need to be so inspired in order to act on faith. A key verse in all of Scripture is John 3:16. In one sentence, the entire history of Judeo-Christianity is given meaning, the love of a proactive God is displayed, and a hope - free to all who believe - is revealed. God did not stand at a distance, merely observing a world broken by sin. He instead reached out to humankind, His children, and at a great personal expense, offered new life to all who will believe.

The Bible is a record, a picture, a love letter to the world, from God, and ultimately, it is a call to action for those who have received His gift. A call to love others in the the same way that God has loved us - actively and unconditionally. A call to care for the orphans and widows, to pursue justice, to extend the hand of mercy. The message of the Bible remains absolutely relevant and critical. The message is love shown through Jesus Christ. And our response is obedience. In Jesus' words, the fullest expression of our love can be dealt and felt in something even as simple as giving a thirsty child a cup of cold water.

Dr. Robert Pierce, the founder of World Vision once said, "Let my heart be broken by the things that break the heart of God." Sound familiar? It's like the lyric in Hillsong's "Hosanna," "...Break my heart for what breaks yours..." Let this be our prayer as followers of Jesus.

During the month of September, I hope to post at least once a week addressing the different global issues present in our world. Each is Biblically significant. I pray that the Holy Spirit inspires you to see the world through God's eyes, and love others in the same way that He has loved us.

Faith in Action Pt.1: Water is Life

"He who has compassion on them will guide them and lead them beside springs of water." Isaiah 49:10

In many thirsty, desolate communities, bleak life expectancy rates have imprinted a familiar saying – "water is life" – deep into the community’s state of mind. More than 1 billion people do not have access to clean, safe water. Their only alternative is to drink from dirty, disease-infested water sources. A child dies every 15 seconds from a water-related disease. This amounts to nearly 6,000 deaths, or the equivalent of 20 jumbo jets crashing, every day. Water related diseases, including cholera, typhoid, dysentery, and guinea worm, kill more than 5 million people every year. On the other hand, the average American uses 170 gallons of water every day. Americans spend more than $61 billion on soft drinks every year. That's 15 times USAID's (United States Agency for International Development) annual budget!

This picture is from my dad's trip to Uganda. For one village, this was the water source before construction of the clean water well. It's pretty gross, dirty and unhealthy for drinking, but people had no other option before construction of the clean water well.

Jesus often used water as an illustration of life (check out John 4 for an example), and he spoke of the impact made by providing even one cup of cold water (Matthew 10:42). When a community gains access to safe water, its children's chances of survival immediately double and the outlook of the entire community is transformed. It's not just water though transforming a community. It's the redeeming power of Jesus Christ that is really at work, through us.

A clean water well, constructed by World Vision. WaSH (Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene) is one aspect of what World Vision does in its development work.

*All statistical information is from World Vision

Faith in Action Pt.2: Feed the Hungry

"For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat." Matthew 25:35

Every 5 seconds a child dies because he or she was hungry. Every day 799 million people in developing countries – about one of every seven people worldwide – go hungry. On the other hand, Americans spend $20 billion annually on ice cream (I really do love ice cream), an amount that could feed 83 million hungry children for an entire year.

Organizations like World Vision have feeding centers that feed children and families who have either been displaced or are unable to grow their own food as a result of civil wars, famine, and drought.

When Jesus said, "I was hungry and you gave me something to eat," He was speaking on behalf of the poor and hungry throughout all generations. And no, that's not mind-blowing. Jesus is God, so he KNOWS.

Giving something as simple and a warm meal to someone in need is a tangible expression of our love for Christ. You can most definitely do that, by God's grace.

*All statistical information is from World Vision