Get In where you Fit In

Browsing the website of a local ministry, whose pastor has a radio show, I located a page entitled, Where You Fit In. The first sentence of the page begins with "There is a place for everyone" at this church. Now, this church is not encouraging some sort of open theology, but rather that there is a ministry that caters to nearly everybody's interests. This is nothing new as the modern day church model seems to be all about getting people busy for Christ. They have a young adults ministry, a ministry for cancer patients, a couples ministry, a home school ministry, a men's ministry, a prayer ministry, a singles ministry, a prison ministry, a women's ministry, a homeless ministry and many more depending on the individuals desire. The first church I attended after coming to Christ had a similar blueprint. Being young and naive, I was willing to get involved in the singles ministry. I quickly burned out because it seemed to be designed around keeping me busy more than anything else. I guess if you are doing the same things with fellow Christians that you can do with unbelievers it somehow becomes holy. There was one thing missing in all of this activity. While I was busy trying to do for Christ, at no time did anybody take the time to inform me what Christ had done for me.

"For if Joshua had given them rest, God would not have spoken later about another day. There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God; for anyone who enters God's rest also rests from his own work, just as God did from his. Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one will fall by following their example of disobedience." Hebrews 4: 8-11

Within a few short years of attending this particular fellowship of believers I was totally exhausted and left the church. The constant focus on participation left me yearning for something more. I didn't come to Christ because I was bored and needed something to do. I came to Christ because I was worn out from trying to fill the void in my spirit through the endless, sinful options only the world could provide. Not to be flippant, but it seemed like I replaced playing dominoes and video games with my friends with playing checkers and Pictionary with fellow churchmen. Is that what the Christian life is all about? There is a sense that many Christians believe that church is the replacement for Christ. It is this attitude that waters down the Gospel. For example, how many of us have invited somebody to church believing it to be our "spiritual act of worship?" There is nothing wrong with that, but actually, the Church is supposed to go to the people. But, that is hard to do when nearly every waking moment of our lives is spent at the church or in the confines of church activity. Now, I know many of these ministries are designed to equip the saints on how to share our faith. But, sometimes they are so structured and organized that those participating in them are not acting out of genuine desire to be involved, but because they feel it is their duty. Church has become a sort of second job that has little meaning or authenticity. However, Christians are called to rest from our works of trying to gain or maintain our right standing before the Lord by what we do.

"Now when a man works, his wages are not credited to him as a gift, but as an obligation. However, to the man who does not work but trusts God who justifies the wicked, his faith is credited as righteousness. David says the same thing when he speaks of the blessedness of the man to whom God credits righteousness apart from works: "Blessed are they whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord will never count against him." Romans 4: 4-8

In the book Classic Christianity, author Bob George, has the following to say about this phenomenon within the Body of Christ. "Someone experiences a genuine conversion to Jesus Christ that results in immediate changes. But there seems to be something lacking in knowing how to live from that point. He dutifully obeys the instructions that other believers give him, and jumps onto the treadmill of service. It isn't long before he discovers that no amount of service - sincere though it may be­ will make a person spiritual. In desperation he re-doubles his efforts but, like a person struggling in quicksand, it seems that the harder he tries, the deeper he sinks." The average Christian, struggling with this form of the Christian life, may not readily admit to their struggle or that they are losing, or have lost, the joy of their salvation. I believe that for these people they have settled in their mind that their experience is the norm for a Christian. Perhaps they believe it to be the "cross" they are to bear for the Lord or a part of the "tribulation" Jesus said to expect in this life. However, this isn't a life lived by faith in Jesus Christ, this is a life of obedience to the instructions of religion.

"Such confidence as this is ours through Christ before God. Not that we are competent in ourselves to claim anything for ourselves, but our competence comes from God. He has made us competent as ministers of a new covenant—not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life." 2 Corinthians 3: 4-6

Our life itself is our ministry. Wherever we go or whatever we do, from the time we wake up in the morning until our head hits the pillow at bedtime is our ministry. We are not obligated to only be a witness to those we encounter through whatever oraganization we join at church. Everybody we come in contact with is a potential opportunity for us to be used by the Lord. It is our right to tell everyone that God was in Christ not counting their sins against them, so that raised from the dead He could offer the life of God to them as a free gift. This is a truth singles, couples, prisoners, patients, senior citizens, homeless people, homeschoolers and everybody in between need to hear and have a chance to respond to. We are to rely on God, in the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit, to guide us as He lives the Christian life through us. It is in that way that we aren't relying on ourselves and the influence and structure of a church program to show us how to live a life we cannot. We struggle in all the Lord's energy as we become a light to the world. The byproduct being that we don't burn out and, along with eternal life, we have eternal joy and an eternal desire to share what we have with all those we encounter.