WHY CHRISTIANS STRUGGLE WITH CHURCH

It's just weird in a weird sort of way.  Christians really struggle with church.  Ah, isn't that strange?  We tend to believe that those not interested are so because they are the ones who struggle with organized religion.  But, not the case.  Churches have the same problem; except we are us!

The trek through believer-ship is not an easy one.  This explains the struggle.  We live in a very soft society; even with all of its upheavals and stresses.  We bring our don't make this too difficult whims to the church table.  In general, the maturing in Jesus by way of suffering on the cross has been aborted in the new birth process.

Instead, we have developed  a what pleases me attitude, walked into churches, and served notice.  Meet my expectations or else I'm outa here.  Selfishness is why Christians struggle with church.

Sue Monk Kidd wrote, We seem to think that God speaks by seconding the ideas we've already adopted, but God nearly always catches us by surprise.  If it's God's Spirit blowing, someone ends up having feathers ruffled in an unforeseen way.  God tends to confound, astonish, and flabbergast.  A Bethlehem stable, a Roman cross, and empty Garden tomb.

Christians struggle with church because they look at six days a week full of headaches and expect Sunday to be their day of peace and quiet.  They especially look at church to bestow such a don't make me feel uneasy gift.

But church isn't just Sunday morning; rather it is 24/7.  Nor is it going to dispense bandages for our bad attitudes nor our unfair injuries.  It will train us to worship and praise God in the middle of sorrow; even defeat.  It will teach us to endure; as did Jesus upon the cross.

Church isn't about robes and decor.  It is the community training center.  This is the place hearts and minds lift weights to sharpen; not to give up.  The church will build us through hard times just as athletes or aspiring business leaders go through intense training....all of their lives.

If we are in this for the long-haul, we must understand that church can be very hard. Because of weak people who always opt for the easy way out, the church's reputation is that we must please the members or else.  Well, that isn't good enough.  It isn't the theme of Jesus.

We struggle because we are being trained to hang in there.  Endurance is a very kingdom essential.  Quitters do so because they find excuse to cave.  We have work to do. There are millions of our friends who are depressed, lonely, and/or afraid. There is no time for us to whine.  People need help from those who live enduringly in the Spirit.

Through our pains, we will not quit; but we will use these times as training seminars for we are not giving up...ever!  Why do Christians struggle with the church?  We suffer because it is the very nature of being on a mission.  When we intend to bless others, we must first realize where they hurt by encountering stresses of our own which eventually are used to bless another.