To Those Who Have Been Hurt in Church
Being hurt by another Christian can be devastating, but the church is filled with imperfect people who do things they shouldn’t. As C. S. Lewis said, ‘God works on us in all sorts of ways…above all He works on us through each other.’ So before you give up and walk away, consider these suggestions: (1) Admit how much it hurt, and start to cope with it. Running away doesn’t achieve this. Humbly approach the person who hurt you, motivated to reconcile. Discuss your pain with the purpose of releasing it and moving on. (2) Ask, ‘What’s my role in this?’ If it had nothing to do with you, as in the case of a trusted leader who has fallen morally or legally, ask yourself if you put idealistic expectations on their humanness. Did you think they were perfect? Now that you realise they’re not, can you forgive them? (3) Ask God what to do next. He knows the motives in the hearts of the people involved. Give Him time to answer. (4) ‘Guard your heart … for it determines the course of your life’ (Proverbs 4:23 NLT). Choose to follow God, even when your heart breaks. He alone can decide...
