so that now the manifold wisdom of God might be made known by the church to the principalities and powers in the heavenly places,
Why is it important to attend a local church? The answer to this question can fill page after page. For the purposes of today….I give you the simple answer of learning the wisdom of God that He intended for believers. Another way of putting it is “What would Jesus do”
I know for many disabled people, attending church is a discouraging prospect. I hurt for those who have experienced unfair treatment due to the fact that you have a disability. It absolutely is not fair and the church needs to learn what their responsibilities are to all their attendees not just the disabled.
I know many of you know what is coming next. I also know that it doesn’t seem fair at all to ask those being oppressed to turn the other cheek and stick it out in a church to teach the truth of all of us being welcomed at God’s house.
As I have written in my book…I take the approach that both church leadership and the disabled need to take responsibility to create an atmosphere of reconciliation. God is asking each of us as believers to join together to support one another, teach one another, pray for one another and of course worship our mighty savior together. As the director of Seek the Son Ministries, I hear countless stories of people with disabilities being discriminated against. While we work towards this goal of reconcilliation I challenge you to find a local church. Maybe attending every week is to frustrating, but make a commitment between yourself and God to attend once or twice a month. Be gentle when dealing with people who are saying hurtful things. I try to remember that God loves this person and they just need to learn that their words are sharp and hateful. I could go on and on with ideas and I will definitely share more in other blogs. In the meantime please email us if you have concerns or want to talk about this fellowship.
I believe that the benefits will far out reach the challenge of attending a church. We need fellow believers to encourage our walk with Jesus. Seek the Son is also looking at starting a virtual church to fill the immediate needs of people looking for a church home. Check out our website for more details.
It is my prayer that you see past all the hurts that church may stir up. Instead keep your eyes focused on Jesus. Be an ambassador of reconciliation and show God’s love even when you feel persecuted.