The Average Christian’s Letter to the Hurting

Sad but true. God has laid on my heart that he gives me numberous opportunties to be a witness for him daily. Kindness, just pure kindness can go a long way in this world full of hurt people. I want people to notice that there is something differnt inside me and that difference is Christ. Thanks for the confirmation that I need to stop being so self centered. I need to open my eyes and heart to all God’s children.

This is very sad, but it is true. I spoke last night on how we are to show love and grace to ALL people, and how when we refuse to do so then we are not being the expression of Christ. I used the scripture from Luke 7:36-50, where the sinful woman is annointing Jesus with oil and the Pharisees turn their noses up at the woman. Jesus extends his love to her. He gives her grace. He makes sure that the woman knows she is loved and has worth. Jesus saw the woman not the sin! That is how we are to be when we see people. We are all created in the image of God, and we must not forget that. We too are marred by our sin, but because of Jesus we are made whole. God sees the person, and He loves the person without limits. I pray we will be like Jesus and do the same.

This stings because it is true, for the most part. There are some that are trying to turn the ship. But the bigger the ship is the longer it takes to turn.

Jason said, as did some others…We are not just Christians hurting within the church with no voice, but sinners who no longer even want to turn to the church for help because we are phoney people with plastic faces, who really don’t care about the soul, once we’ve made the first trip down the isle, and that soul has been added to that pastors account. What do we really do with the drug addict, prostitute,alcoholic..etc. Are the churches really equipped to help them past the point of salvation? My church wasn’t… I have been hurt more in church by Christians than anywhere else in the world..Only God Himself saved me from myself and brought me back, to show me..chruches are hospitals of hurting people…and hurting people hurt people, even when they don’t mean to…Where do we beging to heal..at home and our church is our family as much as our family is…That is just my take on things, for what it’s worh…love is love..I have learned that in loving others, we find that we still have to go back to the cross and remember, He first loved me..It takes time for people to walk out of the world and catch up with where I am..I have to lead them.

Great post and Johnnie’s last paragraph pretty much sums up my thoughts on this.

Wow, so much truth, both in your message and in the comments, Jonathan.

I’ve been on both sides of this battle, and I still get sick to my spiritual stomach just thinking about how I’ve seen both sides. Like others I’ve tried to turn the ship, but I’m no ship’s captain, and those at the wheel too often refuse to hear this wisdom. Even what I once considered to be the best church I could imagine turned out to have this same rot hiding below the surface.

What’s really sad is the number of people who come into a church almost dead from the garbage other churches have tried to shovel into them, yet we blow it out of complete ignorance. Too often I’ve seen people get bent out of shape over something I never would’ve imagined would happen, or that I figured the person had dealt with (in the case where I’ve known the person outside of church) … and we still blow it!!!

Sadly this sounds like my last four experiences with different church communities. Its frustrating to come across an organization which looks great on the outside, picture perfect as a loving community, and even give months at a time only to find few have made any connection at all, and no one is willing to set aside the time to invest in knowing you…..only to ivite you to more church activities…..I’m at the point where I need someone to invest in me, and I’m not getting that with Christ’s bride. Which feels like a head against a wall.
At a new place since Easter, praying for real community, still and still hurting deeply. Thankyou for posting this. This is the kind of honesty that. Is needed to change things.

Awesome post, as usual, brother. Thanks for having the audacity to speak the truth to us all. I dare say that most people who would be offended by this are guilty of shunning those who are hurting, as we’ve all done at some point. Love is the answer. Let Jesus be our example.