When The Church Hurts...

If you've been hurt by the church...can I just say that I'm sorry? I'm sorry that you've been bullied. I'm sorry that you've been thrown out, kicked out, shut down, or pushed out. I'm sorry that you've been abused.

Despite the ways that you've been treated by His followers, do you know that Jesus still wants you?
He wants to use you. 
He wants to know you. 
He wants to love you.
He wants to hold you. 
He wants to cheer for you. 
He wants to love you. 

He's fighting for your heart and soul, even when His people won't.
He's begging you to let Him pick you back up, brush off your knees, and press forward. 

He wants to heal your hurt.
He wants to fix your heart. 
He wants to mend your wounds.
He wants to stop the bleeding.
Will there ever be a day when churches stop making people bleed? 

People are hurting, wounded and they come to the church to find acceptance, love, and healing. 
Yet, far too often, they leave the church even more wounded. 
Even more hurt. Even more broken. Even more distant from God. 

I was a victim of church hurt. I'd been in an extremely unhealthy church environment for far too long. I'd been stepped on. I'd been mocked. I'd been ignored. I'd been mistreated. I'd been lied to. 
By my church family. Ouch. 

But I've come to a realization about something....
I believe that Jesus was also a victim of church hurt. 
Who crucified Him? The religious folk. 
Who abused Him? The religious folk. 
When mocked Him? The religious folk.
Who betrayed Him? The religious folk. 

Jesus understood being hurt by those who claimed to love Him.
And now, 2,000 years later...people are still being hurt by those who claim to love Him.

I am grateful that I have a Savior who became a human being, so He could relate to us on all levels...even on the level of church hurt. He gets me. He gets my church hurt.
We can look to Him to find our way to healing.
We can look to Him to find our way back to hope.
We can look to Him to find our way back to a healthy church body.

The Lord has been gracious to provide. 
He provided a mentor to walk through the season of church hurt alongside of me---someone who helped carry this weight with me for over two years.
He provided a new, healthy church home. And along with that...an incredible new job.
He provided a new sense of passion in me for working in the local church. 

It's incredible what can happen when the Lord plucks you from somewhere unhealthy and drops you in a healthy atmosphere. I'm sleeping better. I'm feeling better. My emotions are steadier. My schedule is healthier. I'm filled with so much joy. I love getting up to go to work. And I love going to church on Sundays. [I can't remember the last time I actually enjoyed going to church]

Praise the Lord for His faithfulness, kindness, and grace. 
Praise the Lord that He works in our lives, even in the midst of pain and hurt. 
Praise the Lord that He never gives up on us as His church. 

My prayer is that you won't give up on Jesus (or His church) either.


In His love,
HG 









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