Part of what makes the church so great is the multiplied sense of the grace of God that occurs as believers go through life together. Last weekend we experienced the death of a wonderful young woman in our church. Although she moved away a few years ago, her parents are still active members of our congregation, and she was such a part of all our lives, that it feels like she never left. This girl started attending with her Mom when she was about 9 or 10. From the beginning she brought a vibrant enthusiasm to all that she did, and we will all miss her very much.
At any given time in a local church there are people of all ages and all walks of life going through all of the ups and downs that life brings. Some people are experiencing a victory, while others are struggling against adversity. Through it all, God remains the same. He never changes, never waivers, and He is always closer than your next breath. He is there when we are rejoicing and there when we are grieving.
What makes the church so great is that we go through life together. When times are good we rejoice together, when times are hard we uphold one another. When somebody hurts us, or offends us, we make it right and go on. When one is blessed we are all blessed. We don’t quit, we don’t walk away, we don’t turn our backs on each other. Well, sometimes we do, but it is kind of a joke because we will all spend eternity together in the presence of God.
Because of this shared experience, times like this week, while terribly painful, provide an opportunity to see the real Body of Christ in action. Whenever there is a tragedy, an attack, or just a tough time, this group of believers that I am privileged to pastor rises up and takes care of each other in a magnificent way. The grace of God that rests on each life flows like a river from one to another. It is an amazing thing to see, and I think it is what makes the church so great.
No comments:
Post a Comment