You have heard it time and time again: People go to church seeking to find God, looking for answers to deal with their issues and struggles in their lives only for someone to come along and say something insensitive, or look at them like they're second class. The next thing you know, they leave the church more broken, bruised and battered than before they came in, never to be seen again. Another soul lost, and no one seems to care. It's back to business as usual. 

You may have experienced it time and time again. You come into a fellowship to serve and to help build the kingdom however you can, only to be slandered as one who serves with selfish motives. You offer the use of God-given abilities to contribute to the ministries of the Church, only to be snubbed by some — a few handful murmurers, grumblers and complainers, who seem to feel "led of God" to criticize and castigate everyone and everything around them. You felt the joy of serving leaving you. You wonder where is Christ in Christianity. 

No one has, nor could they EVER take Christ out of Christianity. The Christ of Christianity would never have engaged in practices like you have just read. In Matthew 9, we do not see our Lord Jesus looking down at the less desirable. Instead, we see Him sitting and eating with them, sharing His time and compassion with them. In verses 10-13, when asked by the Scribes and Pharisees why He did this, His response was that only the spiritually sick needed a doctor, and that He came with mercy to offer salvation through repentance. Our Lord Jesus sets for us the example to follow, and as God’s people, we too must be like Christ, and be Christ-like in our dealings with people. 

So, what do you do when you become the target of being hurt in Church? 

First of all, forgive the person(s) responsible. It doesn't matter if they initiate the process or not. They may not realize what they have done. Perhaps, they may not even know if they had done it. So instead of harbouring a hurt, you free yourself of the bitterness, and forgive. 

Secondly, pray for them. The best of man is at best still a man. Christians are not perfect, but are “Men at Work” and “Works in Progress.” Some have been Christians for a long time, but that does not mean that they are spiritually mature. So instead of telling each other off, tell it to Jesus. What we all have in common, and what we need in common is prayers. 

Thirdly, continue to serve God, however you are doing it. No matter what it is, do it as unto the Lord, not unto men. People have a tendency to put people on a high platform one day, only to cut it out from under them the next. And everyone has an opinion about what is, or is not, good enough. God knows what you are doing, why you are doing it, and rewards you according to your labour (1 Cor 3:8). As long as your focus is on Him, do what is right according to His Word, and if your motive is pure, He will accept your meagre labour and multiply it for His glory.

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