There’s something to be said for being truly hungry for the Word of God. I’m reminded that in my “church-hopping” days there were a lot of anointed men and women capable of delivering a powerful message. Each is unique and has a loyal following. So on any given Sunday, one’s spiritual hunger can be satisfied.
I used to believe that the pulpit was really a place for hypocrites to shine and generate false praise from members who were more interested in looking good than serving the Lord. My bad. In my before-saved life, this belief was probably the biggest reason I didn’t see the need to go to church. I had intellectualized myself out of the kingdom because I thought I could stay connected to God without being connected to the body of Christ.
Hindsight lets me know that Satan had won this battle and used my unsaved spirit to take me down. Once I got past the pulpit and into the Word, my life changed and continues to evolve. I am convinced that God has a unique sense of humor and shows up in all kinds of places and through all kinds of people and circumstances if there’s a welcome mat in your heart. The reality of the Word has taught me that there is no perfect person delivering a perfect message to a perfect people in a perfect congregation. Again, hindsight had be actually believe that maybe I was better than some, a cut above others and certainly smarter than most. I think about that now and it can make me sick. No wonder the devil felt like his job had been done.
The good news today is I’m saved in the knowledge that I am better than no one and more flawed than many. I am no more worthy of the sacrifice of Jesus Christ than I am the love of Almighty God. I’m just thankful to be in the family. This knowledge has me looking at the world today and realizing the church does have a say in all of it. In my small part of God’s kingdom and yours the spiritual community is poised to do great things.
If you take the top 10 churches in your area and look beyond these congregations, you’ll find program after program designed to feed the hungry, help the poor, deliver the downtrodden and teach children. When you actually investigate and seek out god’s Word, you find whole communities of ordinary people doing extraordinary things. The key is you’ve got to look. At the moment you do so, God shows up.
He did in my case by illuminating my sin-filled soul and letting me know, that in spite of it all, His blessing is my unconditional birthright. Here is power in this inherent truth. “Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for you brothers, love one another deeply, from the heart. For all men are like grass and all their glory is like flowers of the field; the grass wither and the flowers fall…but the Word of the Lord stands forever.” 1 Peter 22-25.
