Accentuate the Positive
I’m no genius, theologian, or scholar. Shocking really, to hear me say such a thing. Those that know me well still say I’m lovable despite my mental acuity. So if I’m not those things what am I?
I’m in the process of becoming a light chaser. What’s that? I’m looking for light! I’m making a practice of exercising my positivity muscles. Why? Because they atrophy.
If you are honest, what happens to your mood when you watch your favorite news channel even if it supports your political bias? Two people are chatting about something one of them is less passionate about, or disagrees with completely—what happens to their attitudes? You’re scrolling social media and happen upon a post you don’t like, you can see where I’m going. It’s not easy to be positive in 2025. It requires discipline. It requires using a different set of eyes with which to see things.
Over the years, I’ve seen a lot of negativity slung at the Church. It breaks my heart. I can understand some of the criticism because it’s made of people. In fact, it’s always been about people…flawed people. Centuries have passed, silently witnessing flawed people accept a perfect Savior and join an imperfect church. I’ve even experienced things within the Church that have hurt me, and I’ve done my share of hurting. There was a time I found it easier to play a game of blame, but as a light chaser, it can’t be justified.
Here’s why I love the Church:
The Church is my mainstay for encouragement. Let’s face it, this world brings trouble of all kinds. Every person has had their share of suffering, and if you’re still breathing, you’ll face more tomorrow. I love how I can go to my local church and find what I’m missing in my daily life, which is often less connected to community. I find hope. I find peace. I find restoration for a soul that’s been “talked down to” all week by myself and the society in which I live. I struggle with depressive tendencies, and I know what the dark looks like. I find light and life in my church. I hear truth and allow it to soak into the pores of my heart and mind, replacing the lies that lurk there.
The Church is holy and blameless in the eyes of Christ. She has been purchased by the blood of the purest Lamb. That’s “Christian speak” for the truth that God sees her miraculously through the lens of Christ. Christ is referred to as a spotless Lamb. Lambs were used in biblical times as a way for people to “pay” for their sin. God knew that a sacrifice had to be made once and for all. Enter Jesus. He eliminated the need for any payment on our part through His one sacrifice. He did this for flawed people while we were still flawed, and remain chronically flawed. The Church works as a community to help one another live unbound by those flaws and to pursue abundant lives. God longs for closeness and intimacy and is met with open arms and willing hearts in the Church. He asks for justice and mercy and is met with compassion, humility, and a depth of kindness that has changed the trajectory of many weary souls.
The Church is about renewing sin-wrecked lives and restoring what has been lost. Creativity abounds in the life of the Church. There are ministries for the sick, the disabled, the recovering addict, the bereaved family member, the orphan, the widow, the barren woman, the lame, the deaf, and the outcast. If you’ve got a problem (and you do), there is a place to find healing within the doors of a church. Millions are trying to meet the needs of the communities around them, and many succeed.
The Church is for us. The true Church of Jesus Christ is not looking for perfection, it can’t be found this side of Heaven. It’s for us. Me and you. I don’t need to provide a list of all the different kinds of people you can be; you know who you are. Guess what? The Church needs who you are. You were created to add to its color, to enhance its diversity, to be transformed by the power of the Holy Spirit, and to help the Church extend its outreach. There is so much to do, and who knows how much time we have to do it. Let us choose to be used up for the good of others. There’s opportunity around every street corner, down every alley, in everyone’s backyard, there’s something, or a hundred somethings, created for you alone to do.
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