That sister in church was getting on my last nerve and I was getting on hers. I decided to bite my tongue and love her despite my feelings. That challenged me incredibly. More than a decade later, we know we can call each other at anytime of the day or night, and we will pray for one another. I love her as if we were raised together.

Do people in church get under your skin sometimes? Have you been hurt? Maybe you are in a season when you think church might not be for you.

The verse above is from a portion of Scriptures where Paul describes what a godly marriage looks like. Marriage represents on earth the relationship of Jesus with his beloved bride, the Church. Paul reminds us of how we care for our bodies and so does Jesus with his Body - that’s us!

If we love the Lord, how could we hate his Body? When you feel like the Church has done you wrong, don’t give up on the Body of Christ just yet. Go deeper. Love more. Invest even more. Care for it. Let it love you back. This Church is your family, the house of the God you love. Don’t give up on it. He built it up for a purpose.

Heavenly Father, you know my heart and all that I am going through. Help me to love your people. Give me wisdom and give me patience, oh Lord! Heal my heart and remove bitterness and unforgiveness. Renew my love and zeal for your house. Only you can do these things. In your name, I pray. Amen.

Go Deeper — Make a list of what annoys you about your church. Pray about it. Then destroy that list. Make a new one about all the good in your church. Thank God for it and hang on to it.



Tags: We Love Our Writers Ephesians 5
Photo Credit: Ben White