Life changing moments are like ninjas, you never see them coming. Such an experience happened to me a few years ago.
My College High
I was in the middle of my college career where I was preparing for pastoral ministry. At college I was taught amazing things about Jesus by some of the most passionate and intelligent people I had ever met. Everyday my heart was inflamed with greater passion to know Christ and make Him known. It was overwhelming in the best of ways.
Yes, college was great. But, then, there was my church.
My Church Low
During college, I was an intern for the youth ministry at my home church. Though I was, and still am, profoundly grateful for that church, my semesters at college were exposing her weaknesses as I had never seen before. Compared to college, my church was falling short and I was becoming increasingly disillusioned, disappointed, and disheartened about her.
Then the moment came.
My Savior’s Love
One night, after a long and frustrating day of ministry, I thought to myself, “My church has so many weaknesses, why don’t I just leave?” And then immediately an alien thought came rushing into my head in response, “What if Jesus said that?” Stopped in my tracks, I stood there and thought, “What if Jesus decided that the church was too weak and left her? What if her blind spots made him so annoyed that he walked away? What if Jesus quit the church?”
I then saw my problem and my sin: I didn’t see or love the church as Jesus did. He was committed to building her and I was committed to criticizing her. She was the apple of his eye, but the pain in my rear. To Him, she was a delight he loved to cultivate. To me, she was a disaster I begrudgingly endured. I realized, if I was going to follow Jesus, then I must serve and love His church like He does.
It was then I decided: Jesus will never stop building his church and, by His grace, I won’t either.
