One of the greatest failures of my Christian walk is that I have neglected to recognize the importance of the community of believers that Christ left for us. In John 13:34-35, Jesus said, A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” Our love for each other would be the greatest indicator to the world that we truly belong to the Resurrected Christ. However, contrary to Jesus’ commandment, I have always embraced and enjoyed my independence. I could not grasp the necessity of deeply, personal relationships. To be honest, it felt intrusive to me. Unfortunately, I am not alone in my mindset. While we may exhibit love within our biological families, are we cherishing the Body of Christ?
I have heard other Christians express their desire for the fellowship that we read about in the early church. So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved (Acts 2:46-47). Jesus’ new commandment was being obeyed which produced a unity in the Church’s purpose and hearts. Their love for Christ sparked a love and connection with each other. New converts were birthed into a spiritual family that was visible through the fellowship of believers. They were experiencing God’s expression of love through the Church.
Why have we neglected to nourish the Church? I believe that it is partly because we have reduced the Church to a Sunday service instead of the living organism that Jesus created. By minimizing the Church to a specific building, time, or place, it has become easy to neglect the love, unity, and fellowship that is found within it. I also believe that cultural shifts have contributed to our neglect of the Church. While I am sensitive to the fact that there are still those who pay a great cost to declare faith in Jesus, the general acceptance of Christianity within most cultures no longer requires the majority to abandon everything and everyone. We can remain attached to our biological families and longtime friends. The Body becomes secondary, or irrelevant, for us to fulfill each other needs. Therefore, we do not invest in its health and maturity.
If we valued the Church the way that Jesus does, how would our interactions with each other be different? The Church is not only intended to fulfill our spiritual needs, but our relational needs, as well. So He said to them, “Assuredly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or parents or brothers or wife or children, for the sake of the kingdom of God, who shall not receive many times more in this present time, and in the age to come eternal life” (Luke 18:29-30). The Church’s power and impact are found in its love. Therefore, when we undermine its significance, we minimize its ability to function and grow properly. I acknowledge that I have neglected to do my part to build up the Body of Christ. In fact, I have been a hindrance to its unity and fellowship. I now join that faint chorus of voices who yearn for the Church to reflect the purpose that Jesus intended: starting with our love for one other.
For more on love, read AGAPE.
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Copyright 2020 T.L. Lockley. All rights reserved.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
