Learning to Love your Church

Love for your church, like love for your spouse (or future spouse) is something that often slowly moves from a self-focused infatuation to a deep-seated sacrificial love for the other with the passing of time. A sophisticated, self-giving love does not come sweep you off your feet. It is not something you can "fall" into. Real love comes out of a soil that's been tilled through, cleaned of its stones and rampant weeds. Real love comes out of hearts of stone becoming hearts of flesh.

Recently a friend told me about some men in his life who, even with their apparent depth of character and spiritual maturity that he admired, admitted they did not really love the women they chose to marry until some time after their wedding. There had to be a humbling, a repenting, a Spirit-empowered shaping for a true love to spring between them. Within the covenant relationship between them, by God's grace, restoration of God's design was able to form. 

In the same way, I have seen the transitions from "love" to love to love taking place in my church. I have seen this process happening in myself. Initially, there is the excitement as you discover you have found the church of your dreams. You feel moved by the sermons, you are thrilled by the music, you find others there who seem to "get" you. And so you keep going, you keep feeling the high every Sunday, until the rhythm of it all becomes another familiar part of the week. And then you begin to notice things--there are things missing, things lacking, things that are wrong. The question lurks in your mind--did I pick the right church? Is this where God wants me?

 But then, God is gracious, and He teaches you to love, and He shows you He's brought you here not just for your growth but for the growth of others--and in that serving, you also find your growth. Where love was a close-fisted bud, it opens and unleashes a perfume. Your love becomes more profound, your love begins to look more like the God who is Love. It moves from the transient rush of the moment into something solid and costly. But in this incarnation you find joy. A new warmth fills you as your hands, feet, schedule, and bank account are carved into and divided among others. You find a new satisfaction from the increasingly gradual shift from "mine" to "His" and "yours". You abide in the Love of God, you are matured in His love for you, and you are changed. 

And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more...-Philippians 1:9