Weak Witnesses

1 Corinthians 9:22 To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some.

In the end, salvation is the most important event in the church. We tend to get caught up with dogmas and decisions, interpretations and issues, business meetings and ecclesiastical meanderings that don’t bring one single person into the Kingdom of God. We are so full of what’s important to us that we set aside what’s important to Christ: the saving of one human soul.

Paul understood this perfectly and so he sought every means to relate to other people at their level, in order to come alongside them and find an opportune moment to share the gospel. He didn’t need lavish advertising or super stewardship campaigns; he didn’t require perfect people to preach to; he didn’t have to be politically right, left or even correct. All Paul needed to do was to find some common ground in order to preach the word.

Sometimes we forget that for our faith to be meaningful, it has to be simple. Instead of talking about Jesus, we talk about other people. Instead of presenting His mission, we get focused on our own programs. Instead of being an agent in His ministry, we become advocates for what’s important to us.

There’s a whole world outside of our church where souls are separated from God and people are dying without hope. The church is meant to be Christ’s soldiers and servants, faithful messengers and spiritual paramedics whose duty is to help heal and harvest the world. The challenge that we all face today is this:

Are we more concerned about making the church right for us, or are we more concerned about making the church right for Christ?

Prayer: Lord Jesus, forgive us for focusing on what we can get out of the church, rather than getting out of the church and focusing on Your mission to the world. Pardon us for being so full of our own needs and concerns, that we have forgotten to live being concerned for the needs of others. Grant each of us an opportunity today to come alongside someone to share Your Gospel in a loving, merciful and meaningful way. In Your Holy Name, we pray. Amen.