“For this is how God loved the word: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16).
People are people, no matter what town we live in or church we attend. And there are enough lost people in the world for every single church and youth group to be overflowing with sick souls. Yet, we are distracted. After so many centuries of sending and going, and the Gospel truth reaching far corners of the globe, some of us are missing the boat right in our own backyards.
Belonging is a basic human need. The Bible is clear, we were not meant to live life alone. Isolation is a pandemic in our technologically connected world. “Suicide is a major contributor to premature death in the United States, especially among people aged 10-34, for whom it is the second leading cause of death,” according to a recent CDC report. Why, in a world where there are so many ways to belong, especially to the church, are so many dying of loneliness? If it’s not the business of the people of God, who proclaim life in the name of Life, Himself – Christ Jesus – then who’s concern is it?
Denomination is a class or kind of persons or things distinguished by a specific name. We as Christ followers have a responsibility for exuding the heart of Christ, who died so we may all have a chance to life our lives to the fullest. Yet, for as many benefits as denominations provide, both religious and not, there are always those on the fringes of belonging. The folks on the fringes are the ones we are here to serve on behalf of Christ Jesus. “For many years my conviction has been that Christian unity and Christian truth are served best not by removing fences,” John Piper explains, “but by loving across them and having welcoming gates.”
No matter the denomination, we are all called to have faith like children. The apostle Matthew recorded Jesus saying:
“I tell you the truth, unless you turn from your sins and become like little children, you will never get into the Kingdom of Heaven. So anyone who becomes as humble as this little child is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven” (Matthew 18:2-4).
If we are searching for deep faith, our answer lies on the fringes of belonging. In serving them, we fill our own souls with the depth of what it means to follow Christ. To know Him is to pursue the people who do not belong. The rejected, the uncool, the unpopular, and the ones who bother and annoy everyone around them. The mean people, the toxic people, the bullies, the hurting, sick, sad, and depressed people. The ones suffering from social anxiety so badly no one realizes they are very close to becoming part of the suicide statistic. The ones who are scared to go to church because they don’t feel welcome, or enough. Basically, the “world” God so loved, that He sent Jesus (John 3:16). Paul wrote to the Romans, “So now we can rejoice in our wonderful new relationship with God because our Lord Jesus Christ has made us friends of God” (Romans 5:11).
Jesus has made us friends of God. Let the monumental truth of who we really are sink into the marrow of our bones a minute. We may not disqualify any organization seeking souls for Christ Jesus. We are all on His mission. As He sent His disciples and they sent theirs, the sending is still going. Thomas Kidd wrote “If a denomination’s leadership countenances universal salvation, questions the historicity of the physical resurrection of Christ, etc., it’s time for us to get out.”
The apostle Peter wrote: “Christ suffered for our sins once for all time. He never sinned, but he died for sinners to bring you safely home to God. He suffered physical death, but he was raised to life in the Spirit” (1 Peter 3:18).
We, too, are raised to life in the Spirit when we surrender our lives to Christ. There is not a next step to earn or receive! We are able to receive a fresh filling of the Holy Spirit every day. God has placed us, purposefully. Whether we belong to a denomination or not, we need each other.
Being saved by Christ Jesus is enough. When we seek Him first, we seek Him first. He is consistent, constant, and faithful to teach us. In his article “Will Christian Denominations Fade Away”, Trevin Waxx wrote, “Today, many of the largest and fastest-growing churches in America do not belong to a denomination, while many churches that remain denominational have dropped from the moniker of their church’s name (perhaps to avoid unnecessary barriers or baggage), and have thus become like their ‘nondenominational’ counterparts, at least outwardly.”
No matter where we belong, let’s keep the doors flung wide open. Focus on the fringes. We don’t need to fly across the world to find sick souls; they are living within reach of our local churches. They are our best friends. How often does someone tragically take their own life, and no one knew they were suffering? Or, maybe we did! It happens all of the time. Just look at the statistics. It’s our close friends. It’s our family members. Our community members, teammates, and classmates.
We need to stop being distracted by division and hurry to love the people God has put right in our paths. Those who follow Christ, and those who do not. Following Christ isn’t easy, either. We can never assume we’re all ok. We’re not ok. And it’s ok. That’s why we have each other. We are all in need of a daily dose of Christ’s compassion. Matthew recorded Jesus saying:
“Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light” (Matthew 11:28-30).
Someone needs to know today, if a pastor has told you in any variation your pain is not worthy of their compassion, leave. Healthy pastors exude the gentle and lowly spirit of Christ, Himself.
Christ wasn’t exclusive. Remember the story of the women who bled. Everyone in her life labeled her unclean. Everyone but Jesus. He saw past her condition to who she was. I don’t know about you, but I want to be a part of freeing someone like Jesus freed that woman! I want to see people like He sees them. I want to notice the people in my life who are soul sick and hurting, and be able to depend on that same community of love when I, myself, am soul sick.
Show us, Father, how to live beyond the lines we create and the qualifications we make.
More from this author
Have the Strength to Wait on the Lord
Jesus Understands the Sting of Rejection
Let Jesus Be Your Guide When You Are Lost in the Woods
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Meg writes about everyday life within the love of Christ at megbucher.com. She is the author of “Friends with Everyone, Friendship within the Love of Christ,” “Surface, Unlocking the Gift of Sensitivity,” “Glory Up, The Everyday Pursuit of Praise,” “Home, Finding Our Identity in Christ,” and "Sent, Faith in Motion." Meg earned a Marketing/PR degree from Ashland University but stepped out of the business world to stay home and raise her two daughters …which led her to pursue her writing passion. A contributing writer for Salem Web Network since 2016, Meg is now thrilled to be a part of the editorial team at Salem Web Network. Meg loves being involved in her community and local church, leads Bible study, and serves as a youth leader for teen girls.