Losing My Religion

Hatred. Prejudice. Racism. Discouragement. Obnoxious Christian Trump supporters. Barrenness. Brokenness. Weariness. Legalism. Opposition. Setbacks. Struggles. I’ve battled and challenged all the above. I’ve had some losses and I’ve definitely had some wins. But what’s still a struggle and absolutely heartbreaking are the souls lost in the crossfire. What’s happening with believers as a whole? What has ministry turned into? More and more Christians are arguing and fighting over the wrong things, while hurting souls in need of help and healing are more broken than they were before seeking help. I desire understanding, reconciliation, and improvement. I’m going to change the game. When someone comes to me, whether Christian or not, I want them to walk away feeling the love of Christ. I’ve fellowshipped with different people in different places and walked away feeling emptier than ever before. I can’t stand that. If I’ve felt that way, I can’t imagine what those who aren’t saved must feel like sometimes. I’ve been judged for having different views, criticized about the way I dress, how I love, and for who I am. But I’m not surprised. I’ve seen how the church shuns and mistreats those who are different or fall short and it’s wrong. If we desire to be like Christ, why not act like it? In Woman Thou Art Loosed T.D. Jakes writes, “The Church frequently has, and still does, major on the minors. When that begins to happen, it’s a sign that the Church has lost touch with the world and with the inspiration of the Lord. It is no longer reaching out to the lost. A church that focuses on the external has lost its passion for souls. When we come into that position, we have attained a pseudo-holiness. It’s a false sanctity. Many of the people who were a part of the ministry of Jesus’ earthly life were people with colorful pasts.” You get that? The part about the approach Jesus had to ministry? He approached the Samaritan woman at the well. Rescued a woman caught in adultery. Reformed Paul. And yet, some believers are still preoccupied with position, politics, skin color, the way someone else dresses, who drinks alcohol and who doesn’t, who has tattoos, and other things that don’t really matter. Are losing souls that need saving worth it? I miss the days of revival, genuine fellowship, and authenticity. I hope we can get back to that. And another thing. I see a lot of young Christians pursuing college degrees in ministry, many of which are often eager, arrogant, and want to be heard, and while I’m not the authority of saying who qualifies for ministry and who doesn’t, I must warn those on that path that what you learn in textbooks and in classroom is only a minor part of what it takes to successfully thrive in ministry. You need street cred and you need to be relatable. Ministry requires being able to enter into other people’s worlds that look, think, operate, and relate differently than you do. If you can’t do that, you’re already working with a deficit. Know why you want to get in ministry first, because if God trusts you with lives, He’s looking for you to have everything you need developed in your character and spirit first.