Wednesday, December 9, 2009

can't fix you

The other day, my sister and I were having a lovely conversation, and she made this point: church doesn’t and can’t fix you.
Only He can.

And I’m going to embellish on it, because it’s so good and I think more people need to think about it.

Sure, church can set you on the road to God, or away from it—you have to admit that. But when people talk about 'church' they're meaning 'going to church'. They're not meaning it in the way that Paul said it in his letters to the churches in the New Testament. The Church is the people of God, not a building, not a place you go on Sundays and Wednesdays optionally. It is a people. And sometimes people do things in the name of something they are not even connected with. That's the part of life that sucks. That, I think is what's called 'taking His holy name in vain': doing and living in a way that contradicts the Way you say you follow, the Lord you say is your Saviour.

But really, there are those who have no relationship with Him—but there are even those of us who do and still are rustily moving through life on our own terms and thanking/praising Him for the good times. When they come along.


We know how Christians believe, but not how they live.
The preachers and pastors tell us to lay down all the sin and our lives at the Cross, but they don’t tell us what to pick up.

[Shane Claiborne]

Going to church, as they say, does not make you a Christian (definition: little Christ). And it doesn’t fix you, that much is clear to me.
So how are you to ever be fixed? How am I? (because I certainly have not attained, shall we say, perfection of any sort?)
You talk to Him. You seek Him. You ask for His help, you read His Word. And you also fellowship with other Followers.

And another point: you can talk about Jesus all you want, make people promise to come visit your church, but you’re wasting time with only your mouth doing something. Be Jesus. Show, not tell.


Because really, since when did we stop being Him (to the world and its hopeless inhabitants) and start arguing _______? (fill in the blank)


Some of us have never been too devoted.
"Some of us" being His Followers.
There have always been some --alright, a lot-- of us that have been distracted . . . with the world.
Those haven't known or realized He want us, Loves us. Too preoccupied with the things, the materials and superficiality of the place we are in.



This was to all those Christians out there…or whoever is reading this and needed a kick in the you-know-where just like me.

4 comments:

believe_in_love said...

that was very inspirational beka. i feel better off with my relationship wth god is better off in a relax setting (like my mind) instead of the catholic church where it is routine, stingy, and boring. i feel god is all around us so it feels more right to talk to him freely then in one setting.

beka said...

that's great. :) i know a lot of people who just can't do catholic church, and others who love the quiet repetitiveness (boring;)) of it all... but it's also important to fellowship and be with and talk to people who also are seeking God and following Jesus.... that way we don't get torn down and mucked up with the world and all its crap so much.
And yes, He is all around us. :) i love that.

Angie said...

nice post, nicely put!

beka said...

Thanks Angie! It was just a bunch of thoughts that I had to get out there... :)