"Jesus has an enemy and its not the person in the next pew"

Proverbs 18:21, “Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruits.” Our words hold power and sometimes I don’t think we understand that what you say can build someone up in the faith or it can honestly tear them down and cause them to stumble.

I will never forget the time it was a Saturday night; I was having a rough night. I couldn’t sleep and I was crying and just needed a touch from Jesus. After crying myself to sleep. I woke up the next morning and I didn’t want to go to church because I just wanted to lay in bed. Have you had a night like that before? I had a personal relationship with Jesus and boy am I thankful I did.

I mustered up the strength to get dressed. I put on a hoodie and jeans and walked to church miles because I had no car and church was already about to begin so I didn’t want to ask for a ride from a church member. Plus, I wanted to clear my head so walking was probably the best anyway, I finally arrived at church and the first person I came in contact with after walking through the front door was an elderly woman. Her exact words, “Why do you have on jeans?” I broke… I pushed passed so much to get here expecting to be embraced, loved on and encouraged and here we are! She didn’t ask me how I was doing or even good morning, but why do I have on jeans. I couldn’t believe this was happening I ignored her and ran to the bathroom to cry. This was my very first time experiencing church hurt. It feels like someone punching you in the stomach. Something broke in me that day; which lead me disappointed in the body of Christ. I sat in service that day angry, didn’t want to be bothered. Girls if I didn’t have a personal relationship with Jesus I would have drifted away. Although something broke in me that day. I also came alive. Jesus used my anger to set a fire in me. I didn’t want anyone else to ever go through what I did. SO, not only did I notice that church isn’t about what we have on, but focused on the heart. See; I noticed the heart of this women that day. Her heart wasn’t focused on Jesus. It was focused on self.

I prayed for her heart. I prayed for her relationship with Jesus. Yep! By praying for her. Jesus healed me and it also strengthened my relationship with the Lord even more that day. See Jesus uses every situation to draw us closer to Him. You may have gone through church hurt and couldn’t find the strength to forgive the person or pray for them and I am going to tell you what the bible says about church hurt and how we can all overcome it, how we cannot blame the entire body of Christ for one person’s shortcomings. You can also use church hurt to spark a fire in you to be better to people because we never know what someone may be enduring to get to church on Sunday mornings. People may have a smile on their faces but internally going through pain. Etc…

Sinful people hurt each other. Put a group of people of diverse ages, backgrounds, convictions, personalities, ethnicities, and sin struggles in relationship together, and life’s going to get messy quickly. And none of us is above it. When it comes to minor church hurts especially, sometimes adjusting our expectations can be helpful. Since we are all capable of doing damage, it is unreasonable to expect the church environment to be pain-free. Furthermore, Jesus foretold the ominous reality that wolves can enter the flock, wreaking havoc, scattering sheep, and leaving behind collateral damage (Matthew 7:15). God will hold these people accountable, but he may not do it right away.

“Jesus has an enemy, and it’s not the person in the next pew.” People are also finite. Only God is limitless in his knowledge, love, power, and wisdom. Rather than expecting of others what only God can perfectly provide, we need to trust God to be God and let each other be human. On the other side of the spectrum, it is helpful to remember that every believer, regardless of deficiencies, is essential to the body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12:21–25). This can help us have grace for our church leaders and each other, and remind us of the necessity of our own contribution to the local church body.

Jesus has an enemy, and it’s not the person in the next pew.

Satan has hated God from the beginning, and he wants to destroy, or at least diminish, the church because it is God’s chosen instrument to grow his kingdom. Satan wants to tear down the church as fast as Jesus can build it. He is not above shameful tactics or shock-and-awe moves, either. His many notorious titles in Scripture include liar (John 8:44), thief (John 10:10), accuser (Revelation 12:10), adversary (1 Peter 5:8), and murderer (John 8:44).

When it comes to the deep wounds the church can inflict, remember who the real enemy is. Behind the raging conflict or the oppressive leader is a crafty strategist whose ruthless plan involves consuming God’s people, or at least rendering their faith inactive. If you are wondering whether to stay in a church or leave, remember either way that Satan is actively seeking people to devour (1 Peter 5:8). And cling to Jesus, whose death and resurrection tolled the initial death knell for Satan.

I am not discrediting your hurt. However, I wanted to shine light on the real reason why we experience it. I am praying for you Jesus girl and you are never alone.

Signed, Jesus Girl