If you have been in church for any length of time, you have probably suffered church hurt to some degree. We are often shocked by the hurt we may or may not experience from our local church down the road. Why are we shocked? Should we be shocked?

To answer that question, we have to look at the makeup of the local church. The local church is comprised of… You guessed it. HUMANS! Amazing right? Let’s self-reflect for a moment. Get out a piece of paper and a pencil. Got it? Okay, now let’s write down all the things we have done in our lives that weren’t perfect. Let’s include all the times we gave someone the side eye, the times we told a little white lie so we didn’t hurt our friends’ feelings, and even the time that… okay, let’s stop right there. You are probably about to close this browser down. I wouldn’t blame you, but I think I proved my point. The church down the road is made up of people just like you and me. I’m not perfect, and I’m sure you aren’t either. Where we have imperfect humans, there will be hurt at some point.

It’s what we do with that hurt that defines us as a person. Do we confront it head-on, do we wallow in it like it’s the next best snuggie, or do we run from the problem and lump all churches into that one bad situation? I’ve been in ministry for a while now. I can tell you the easiest thing to do is run, and the most comfortable thing to do is wallow, but the hardest and most rewarding in the end is the first option. Yup, confront the hurt head-on. It’s easy to play the victim mentality. It’s hard for some to move forward. However, it’s most imperative. There are lost people out there, and are we really going to get distracted from our main mission because we had a falling-out with Sister Suzie over the carpet color matching the pew cushions? Now, I might have evoked a chuckle, but it’s true. Churches have had major splits for that exact thing.

We have to see people as Christ sees us. We have to love others and understand that they are just as messed up as we are. I know I have made some pretty bad decisions in my life, and thankfully, God is still there. He didn’t abandon me when I was pretty sure I wanted to abandon myself. So even when there is church hurt. I challenge you not to run or wallow, but to face it head-on and remember your true calling. If you’ve abandoned the church, now is your time to give it another try.

Love you big,

The Unorthodox Voice