Flora and I enjoy getting up early to walk and we certainly enjoy a walk on the beach at sunrise. In the mornings, the beach sand is smooth and beautiful after having been groomed overnight by the rising tide. On the pristine surface of the sand, beach-goers can easily spot sea shells and watch the crabs scurry to and from their holes.That smooth surface does not last for long!
As the day progresses, you see parents digging holes in the sand with their children; you see siblings burying each other up to the neck; and we even saw one man who dug a hole deep enough and wide enough to set his entire beach chair into. Through the day, you also notice many sandcastles being built up and down the shoreline. Some are elaborate sand sculptures, but most are just simple sandcastles. As you can imagine, wherever there are sandcastles, there is usually “that kid” who enjoys demolishing every sand sculpture he can leap onto! By the end of the day, the sand that was pristine in the morning has been littered with holes, as well as, the remains of many conquered sandcastles.
I’ve noticed that Churches are often filled with figurative "sandcastles." Too often, good and well-meaning people will build castles within the church. No one does this intentionally; but over time "sandcastles" are built, the boundaries are defined, the walls are fortified, and personal kingdoms are established. The once beautiful church that used to be unified and focused on Jesus, slowly begins to take her eyes off of Jesus. Frequently, God will have to topple the sandcastles in order to restore beauty to the church -- just as the nightly tidal waves do to the shoreline. The process is painful, as the churning waters break the shells, carry off the debris and levels the sand; but the end result is that beauty is restored.
As I look at the year 2020 and COVID-19, I have to stop to wonder if God is using this pandemic to tear-down a few personal sandcastles within the churches across our nation. A paraphrase of Romans 8:28 says that not all things are good, but God can work good from all things. Maybe through this pandemic, God is hitting the "reset" button for the Church and restoring her beauty. Maybe pastors will return to the basics of evangelism and discipleship. Maybe church members will turn their eyes toward reaching the lost in their communities. Maybe the stains of sin will be removed and the light of the Gospel will shine through God's Church once again!
Having the right perspective can make all the difference, so I ask you to consider that while many are fearing the pandemic, will you consider that God could be using it to revive His Church! It could be that in order to build His Kingdom, God had to remove some personal kingdoms (sandcastles) that were stifling local churches. It could be that by shifting our focus away from Sunday crowds & attendance numbers, pastors will return their focus toward ministering to individuals & making disciples. No doubt that the Church will look different post-COVID, but that it will most likely look more like God originally intended for it to look. It could be that through the pounding and churning of the 2020 "waves" that God is restoring the beauty of His Church.
So, let’s pray that God will allow us to see the current events through His eyes and to walk by faith rather than sight. Let's pray that the uncertainties of this world will cause us to yearn for heaven and become more passionate about telling others of the hope found in Jesus Christ. Rather than being distraught over the current circumstances, let's get excited about the new possibilities that God may have in store for HIS Church!
No comments:
Post a Comment