THE ROAD TO OVERCOMING CHURCH HURT CONTINUED

 

IS THERE ANY HOPE OF BEING HEALED?

 

Once we acknowledge the source of our pain, we can adequately deal with it and we can be healed. Prayer and faith in God are the essential components of the healing process. Just as we go to God for a physical healing, we have to go to Him for our spiritual healing as well. We must realize who it is that is at the root of our pain. We must realize that satan comes to steal, kill and destroy. He wants to knock us out. He does not want us to be a part of any organized body of believers. He wants us isolated. He wants us spiritually dead. And he uses the tactic by “any means necessary” to accomplish his goal. We must always be aware of his tactics and thereby protect ourselves. ( John 10:10)

 

On the other side of the coin, we must know the Word of God for ourselves.

(Luke 4:4; 8) When the pastor is preaching contrary to the Word of God, we must do whatever it takes to guard our spiritual well-being. A God-sent pastor feeds the flock with knowledge and understanding. (Jeremiah 3:15) When the Word comes in anger, in confusion, in hatred, with jealousy, with pride, in fear and with intimidation, we must be prayerful and do whatever we need to do to safeguard our spiritual walk. Whether we realize it or not, this is abuse. It is clergy abuse. Just as we are not to tolerate physical abuse, clergy abuse must be abandoned as well. If you have to leave this particular body of believers for your own spiritual well-being, then so be it. Leave that body, but don’t leave God. Seek God, and trust Him for guidance. (Jeremiah 23:1; Hebrew 10:25; Psalm 37:3; Proverbs 3:5-6) In seeking and trusting Him, the decision, whether to leave or stay, will be the right one.

 

However, there are times when we ourselves are the source of the pain. We are the ones who inflict the pain onto others. We are the gossipers. (Psalms 50:20; I Corinthians 14:33; Proverbs 15:1) We are the ones who are always angry. We are the ones who cause the embarrassment.

 

(Proverbs 11:13; Ephesians 4:19-27; 31-32) We are the one with unreasonable expectations of our Christian peers and our leaders. We are the ones who have placed the leaders in the place of God. We have put them on such a high pedestal, that if they fall, that even when they pick themselves up, we are unable to accept them, we still see them in the fallen position. And we are the one who are the last to forgive. We caused the pain, explained it away, expected to be forgiven but refused to forgive. In order to be forgiven, we must forgive. The ability to forgive and love must play a very important part in our decision whether to leave the church body or whether to stay. (Matthew 6:12)

(click here for the conclusion of church hurt)

 

 

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ON THE ROAD TO OVERCOMING CHURCH HURT