Faithfully Yours - The wonder of it all

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Published on Thursday, January 22, 2015

By Neil Strohscein

Several years ago, at the end of a class session, a student approached a distinguished Seminary professor and asked: “Prof, can you think of anyone, in any period of history, who has been greatly used by God, who did not have glaring personal weaknesses?”

The professor thought for a while and then replied: “Apart from Jesus Christ himself, no, I can not. And that,” he added, “is what makes our calling a perfect example of God’s amazing grace.”

A quick glance at Biblical history verifies the professors words. Every one of the Biblical characters we venerate today had at least one notable flaw; and most had more.

Moses had a bad temper. So did two of Jesus’ disciples—James and John. Elijah struggled with depression. So did Jeremiah. King David committed adultery and murder. Simon Peter mastered the art of saying and doing the wrong thing at the wrong time. St. Paul’s stubbornness caused a huge rift in the first missionary team, and forced him and Barnabas to part ways.

Yet despite these glaring flaws, God still chose to work through these people in marvelous ways. Moses lead the Israelites from Egypt to the gates of the Promised Land. Elijah eradicated Baal worship from Israel (it came back after he died). Simon Peter became a recognized leader in the first century church, as did James and John. St. Paul traveled the length and breadth of the Roman empire, preaching the gospel, winning converts and establishing local churches.

The Bible contains dozens of stories of people who, imperfect though they may have been, were used by God to confront the evils of their day and call people to repentance and reform. They are recorded so that by reading them, we might be enlightened and encouraged in our walk of faith.

Those who serve today’s church—Ministers, Sunday School teachers, youth leaders, Elders and board members—are not perfect people. They are human. They will make mistakes. Please do not expect them to do the right thing in the right way all the time; because they won’t.

But the people they serve aren’t perfect either. They also are human. They will make mistakes. They will not respond to teaching, counsel or advice as leaders wish they would. Some will fall away from the church. Others will remain on the fringes, choosing not to get involved in day to day activities. Church leaders must never openly criticize, denounce or shun those who do resist their efforts. They must consistently model the traits of healthy churches.

Healthy churches are filled with people who come together, worship together, pray together, learn together, work together and grow together. 

Healthy churches are filled with people who love each other just as Christ has loved them.

Healthy churches are filled with people who, like Jesus, welcome all people just as they are. In a healthy church, people refuse to pass judgment on others because of beliefs they may have, opinions they may articulate, questions they may ask or lifestyle choices they may have made. Healthy churches are filled with people who, when they are offended, refuse to seek vengeance, but choose instead to forgive, put the offense in the past and move on.

Healthy churches are filled with people who see hurts and heal them, who encounter needs and meet them—all in God’s name, by the power of God’s Spirit and for God’s glory. And despite their flaws and weaknesses, God works through these people, gives them unlimited power and rewards their efforts with unprecedented success. That’s the wonder of it all.