Living Vibrantly Alive in a World of Brokenness

Thanks again for all the feedback you’ve been giving after the first two posts!

• How to Overcome Frustrations with Church and Live Vibrant for Christ
• How to Gain a Voice with Your Pastor

I am always surprised how many people resonate with feeling held back in their church. It’s sad and I wish it wasn’t an issue. But unfortunately, for too many Christians, it’s far too real.

What if we could rise above the weaknesses and junk in our churches and become a people who live authentically and vibrantly for Christ? What if it is possible to bring about positive change in church without fracturing relationships?

I have not only grown up in church, I grew up a pastor’s son. So, I am well acquainted with the challenges and issues of church life. I used to think it was church structure or traditions that held people back from being better Christians. But now I know it is their focus.

There are times we bump into irreconcilable differences and I’m not sure we can ever avoid those. But we can avoid a wrong focus.

If we don’t live all of life focused on the Gospel of Jesus Christ, we lose sight of how God pursued us even while we were sinners. He didn’t wait until we got our act together to send His Son. He came and loved on us amid the mess we had created.

In the same way, He beautifies the church, even when it isn’t perfect. Even when we are hung up over how we should do things, He moves toward us and loves us.

As I have reflected on what I’ve seen and experienced, I have concluded that if we are going to sort through the tough questions of church and life, we need to focus on the Gospel, not on getting things right.

One of the dangers of feeling held back is that we begin gravitating away from people we don’t agree with instead of allowing them to sharpen us.

It’s easy to push our own agenda without hearing other people’s visions for church. I learned this the hard way, as I shared about in the last post. We need each other. We need the different opinions and if we move away from people who think differently than we do, we miss out on true fruitfulness for Christ.

Taking the time to listen to people, especially our leaders, and serving the community of our church, not manipulating it, is the best way to gain a voice with people. Not only could we possibly become agents of positive change, in the process of listening and serving we gain a healthier vision for church.

Now, what about when your church requires extra-biblical standards of new believers?

When they must become exactly as you are to join the church, is that a group worth sticking with? Am I suggesting that no matter what church situation you are experiencing right now you should just focus on the Gospel and continue investing as much as you can?

Absolutely not!

What I am suggesting is that we tend to give up too easily. Too often our focus is on getting things to go our way instead of remembering Christ’s love for us even when we fall far short of perfection.

I am also suggesting we need to have that same love for our church. A willingness to pursue and support the people of our local body even when we all fall short of perfection as the bride of Christ.

There may be plenty of other churches doing better at engaging culture with the Gospel. But many of them still have their weaknesses in effectively making true disciples of Christ. For too many, church and ministry tends to be showy, about making people feel good. Not near all their “new converts” last long enough to know Christ deeply.

I don’t say this as an excuse for weaknesses in our own churches. I say this as a confession of the reality that the church is made of a broken humanity.

What about when you feel lonely and unable to connect with others? If the place sucks the life out of you, do you still need to plug away at it?

Again, I am not saying there is never a time to leave. In fact, I would not be walking with the Lord if my Dad and Mom had not had the guts to step away from a church system that wasn’t feeding its people very well spiritually.

In the same way, I would not stick around a place that is not giving my family Holy Spirit life.

If a congregation is full of death, out of love for my family and responsibility as the spiritual leader of my home, I would leave.

At the same time, loneliness and disconnection with others are results of the fall. Because of disconnection with the Father, we tend to spend our energies trying to impress people instead of carrying for them. Even in the church. And far too many people suffer as a result.

We are a broken people. There will be lonely times wherever we go. So, we want to have the right focus whether we are investing in our current local church or leaving it and joining a new one. If indeed we must leave, we want to do it in a way that doesn’t fracture relationships any more than they have to be.

Leaving your church isn’t going to help you escape the problems of man.

Sooner or later you will still have to learn how to keep the right focus. The issues will be different, but you will bump into times of feeling held back in whatever church context you find yourself and you need to be ready for when those times come.

I find it interesting that in his letter to the church at Corinth, Paul says “there must be factions among you.” He is reflecting on what he heard about the divisions they have when they come together for the Lord’s Supper. He says he believes what he hears, in part, because there must be divisions. Why?

“So that those who are genuine among you may be recognized.” (1 Co. 11:19)

I don’t think Paul is saying we should go out and create conflict. He is not commending the people of Corinth in this passage. But I do believe he is shedding light on the reality that as a broken people, as human beings with a fallen nature that causes us to use even our spirituality for our own gain and self-esteem, we will bump into conflict.

And this kind of conflict is needed for us to identify sincere disciples of Jesus Christ.

If we are to rise above the issues of church life that cause us to feel held back and live truly vibrant and fruitful for Jesus Christ, we must become genuine disciples. Our focus must be solely fixed on glory and Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Perhaps you thought this series would provide a few fool-proof steps to changing your church and resolving issues. I am sorry. Life is too dynamic, people too unpredictable to pretend we can create formulas for solving relational issues and differences in ideology.

What I can do for you is point you to the Source, the One who makes loving others worth it. I can show you the One who loved us first. He gives us abundant grace and the ability to know God and live vibrantly alive in a world of brokenness.

It feels really basic, and ridiculously idealistic. But when you feel frustrated and held back by your church, take a breath. Remember Christ’s love for you and how He pursued you in your worst moment of sin. Then, pursue others, hearing their hearts and allowing them to mold you. You will discover a vibrancy in your walk with Christ you never previously knew.

If you are a genuine disciple of Christ living vibrantly alive, you will prove it by the way you interact in conflict.

I have spent three posts sharing a few things I discovered about overcoming frustrations with church and living vibrant for Christ. If you have found this series helpful, if it has given you practical tools for moving through the issues you face right now, I invite you to take it all to the next level.

What thoughts are rolling around in your mind. What have you learned? What questions do you still have after these three posts? Share in the comments. And if you know a friend who could benefit from this series, but sure and share it with them.

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