Love the Church You’re In

I've been a pastor for 35 years across four churches. Over those years, if you asked how the church was doing, I could have given you two answers, both equally true.

First: church is great. God is moving. People are growing. I see his grace everywhere.

Or second: we've got problems. There's conflict, finances are tight, and we're facing challenges without clear answers.

Here's what I've learned: both statements have been true in every season of ministry. It all depends on where you look. In any church, at any moment, we're experiencing God's blessings while also facing real problems.

When I joined my current church, I was eager to exchange the pressures of church planting for the stability of an established congregation. A retired pastor friend offered me a warning I didn't want to hear: "Don't think you're moving to a better church. Your new church is probably wonderful, but it comes with its own problems and blessings." He was right. It's a good church. I don't regret moving to this new ministry. I've experienced incredible blessings here, more than I deserve. I’ve been freed from some of the pressures of church planting. But I’ve picked up new challenges too, and I’ve also lost some of the blessings of church planting as I’ve picked up other ones.

Every church faces undeserved blessings and unsolvable problems at the same time. I'm learning two lessons from this reality.

First, love the church you're in. Don't wait for it to be perfect before you start loving it. Don't scan the horizon for a better option. Every church has trade-offs. You'll never find one without problems.

Paul's letters prove this. He never wrote to a trouble-free church, yet he usually began by celebrating who they were in Jesus and what Jesus was doing among them. In his letter to the troubled church in Corinth, marked by division, immorality, and confusion, Paul still expressed gratitude and genuine love for them.

There are valid reasons for leaving a church, but being in an imperfect one with challenges isn't one of them.

Second, focus on what's good. Like many people, I tend toward the negative. Given a problem and a blessing, I'll dwell on the problem. In church, this means that it's easier to spot what's broken and miss many of God’s blessings.

Whatever we pay attention to grows in our perception. Focus on problems, and they loom larger than anything else. Focus on blessings, and suddenly you notice more of them.

There have been seasons when I focused too much on problems and missed what God was accomplishing. I've learned from pastors who choose to highlight God's work without pretending problems don't exist; they deal with them, but they also refuse to dwell there.

I want to be that kind of pastor. When people ask how the church is, I could recite a list of concerns. Instead, I want to honestly share what God is doing but mostly praise God for blessings I don't deserve.

Love the church you're in. You'll never be part of a problem-free church, but you're likely in a good one with much to be thankful for. Don't let the presence of problems blind you to the blessings he’s given you in the imperfect church where God has placed you.