What kind of church are you looking for?

RESUMEN: Many people join churches that fit their sociological patterns and provide them with complacency and self-realization instead of focusing on Christ. They treat the church like a theater and constantly look for the perfect one, forgetting their commitment to their Lord and the congregation. However, a sense of belonging strengthens our testimony and creates a foundation for authentic Christian fellowship. We must maintain a healthy relationship with our congregation, be faithful, and focus on caring for it as the Lord's church. The church is lived in community, and developing a sense of belonging is crucial for unity and mutual understanding.

Many people prefer to join churches whose members resemble themselves in the way they speak, look, and act. They need to be identified in these sociological aspects. When these conditions are not latent in the church for their self-satisfaction or, simply, when they do not find paradigms that fit their way of behaving, doing and projecting, their pre-established patterns break down, they break the enchantment of “the church tailored to you ”and begin to move to other churches in search of confirmation of their standards. Many people, even well-intentioned, come to church in search of complacency and self-realization, to ignite in their own passions and uncertain emotions ... and they forget Christ, the Lord of the Church, the only one worthy of adoration, of honor and of praise.

Others believe that the church is like a theater, a great show. They spend their lives "looking for" the church of their dreams, the one that accommodates their feelings. They are the "acrobats", those who forget that one day they made a pact with their Lord of fidelity towards his congregation, of respect, of walking with Christ through it in the green and mature, of being an instrument of blessing for his brothers. They are the ones who do not believe that even in the diversity of the church unity can be found and brotherly love put into practice despite the differences. If diversity does not jeopardize Christian doctrine, the mission and vision of the church, commitments to membership, and the practice of the true ministry of godliness and edifying love, there is nothing to fear. These brothers are the ones who frequently say: “today the Pastor did not build me up with his message”, “the wife of such a leader passed by me and did not even greet me”, “the praise was weak” and other murmurings of not a little weight. They never looked at the cross of Christ, they never focused on his sacrifice; They took the gift of salvation, wrapped it in cellophane, and took it to another church to display as a trophy that they never earned on their own merits, nor did they deserve. So, who gets hurt? The church may have ups and downs but it will always remain. Ah, how beautiful it is to see a congregation of committed Christians, with a sense of belonging, with a passion for unity and the conviction that their lives are rooted in a community of faith where Christ is King and Lord! A sense of belonging strengthens our testimony, creates the foundation for harmony and mutual understanding, and breaks down all barriers of worldliness. It is the breeding ground for authentic Christian fellowship, fellowship, koinonia that please the Lord.

It is not difficult to maintain that sense of belonging when things are going well in the church, when finances are abundant, one is focused on a single vision, there is spiritual growth, good fellowship, the pastor gives us good sermons and the leaders are loving and mature. Difficult is when the church is going through crisis, those moments in which the union is imperative to emerge afloat and continue to glorify God. The church is the most desired target of the evil one to attack his flanks because he knows that in the Vineyard of the Lord the tares sometimes make their entrance camouflaged with Christian garb, they can grow along with the good wheat and mix with it and it is difficult uproot it without leaving a trace of its existence. One of Satan's favorite delights is to blur us by attacking the unity of the church, the unity for which Christ cried out to the Father with the encouragement that Christians from then until today, we would be one, as he and the Father are one. They are the long-term commitments and the sense of belonging to the Body of Christ, more specifically, to the congregation to which we belong, in which we have grown spiritually, visible signs of a solid communion with the Lord, of sisterly fidelity. We cannot tailor the church to us, because the church is the Lord's and not ours.

I encourage you to maintain a healthy relationship with your congregation, of permanence, of solid commitment, without a fixed term, regardless of any circumstance. Be upright and faithful to those who once dried your tears and comforted you in times of need. Don't be an adulterer. Love your church as Christ loves it. Do not stop to notice man, but your Lord; He never fails and less with his girlfriend who is his church. You have a challenge ahead of your church. Focus on caring for her and making her the best platform for Christian commitment, consecration, and service. The church is lived in community and without you it is not complete. Develop a sense of belonging not only in the unity of the Spirit, but in communion with other saints. The Spanish-American dictionary of the mission defines community as an organized collectivity of people, permanently settled in a given place, who form an autonomous social unit and who participate in a cultural background and common interests, which are the basis of special relationships. and everyday. Nothing more like the Church of Christ. God bless you!