My friend and I were chatting the other day about something that we have both observed in recent years that has really impressed us. We've both had the opportunity to be involved in churches where something exciting was happening. One church was large and well known. The other other church was small with a young congregation. But both churches were alike, because they were full of love and grace.
My friend and I grew up together in a church where the Bible was taught clearly every week. There was an emphasis on prophecy, ministry, and knowledge. We were both given a strong biblical foundation because of that church. But something terrible happened at that church that deeply scarred both my friend and me. The church split.
On Sunday, a man at my church shared his testimony. He too had experienced church splits. The effects of the church splits impacted him so much that he even doubted the relevance and necessity of a church home. After all, who wants to build relationships that are only going to crash and burn when the church leaders decide to declare war on one another? Church splits are horrible. They ruin lives. They destroy ministries. They are evidence of a real lack of love inside the church.
I'm not saying that churches can't recover from splits and divisions. God can restore bodies of believers to have effective ministries. But when churches decide to split--for whatever reason--they are dragging God's name through the mud. And many of them leave a wake of trampled hearts and lives in the process. I 100% believe that church members can leave the church in peace and unity with the intent to further God's ministry elsewhere without destroying the church. Unfortunately, this is rare.
When I read I and 2 Corinthians, I was encouraged to see that Paul gives instructions for change in the church. He acknowledges the strengths and weaknesses of the church. But he never gives up on the believers. He admonishes them. He encourages them. He loves them. And he encourages them to love others. Paul never destroys a body of believers. Instead, he continues to build them up.
We need to be sure that our churches are full of love. When we're "church shopping" we need to be careful to look for churches where grace and love abound. We must realize that the style of music, the Sunday School curriculum, the dress code, and the number of ministries don't really matter if there is no love. And we must do our own part to share God's love within the church. Build relationships with other Christians. Share your experiences. Pray for the needs of other members. Recognize and acknowledge sin just like Paul did. But don't give up on the sinners. Continue to pray and love on those who need grace most. God can do amazing things when we leave it to Him to restore peace and unity.
If God hates divorce, you can imagine how he feels about splits within the church. Let's try to honor
Him by pursuing love and grace instead.
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