Made New: Rewriting the Story of Rejection Through God's Truthნიმუში

Day 2: Church Hurt

Many people have either stopped going to church or refused to set foot in one because of an offense they experienced, whether directly or through someone who misrepresented the heart of God. Church hurt isn’t just a trendy phrase or a convenient excuse; it’s a real wound that many believers carry, often in silence.

I know this pain personally. I grew up in a Baptist church and stopped going when I went to college, not because I lost faith, but because I lost trust. An elder once made a comment about how my mother, a single mom of three, dressed us for church. My mom always did her best, and while we may not have worn the fanciest suits, she got her children to church, which should’ve been enough. That comment, however small it may have seemed to others, cut deep. It planted shame where there should’ve been grace, and judgment where there should’ve been love.

That moment distanced me from the very place that was supposed to bring me closer to God. It conflicted with the hunger I had to know Him. I couldn’t reconcile how people who claimed to represent God could act in ways so far from His heart.

But here’s the truth: the church is made up of people, and people are imperfect. Sometimes we confuse the character of God with the actions of broken humans. We hold God accountable for things He never did. We walk away from His presence not because of who He is, but because of what someone else did in His name.

Sometimes, the pain we experience from others causes us to project that same rejection onto God, making us believe we’re unworthy of His presence. Have you ever told God to stay away because He is holy and you feel too sinful? Have you ever assumed you needed to be clean before coming to Him?

The truth is, you don’t. Jesus came for the messy, not the polished. The church was never meant to be a fashion show or a gallery of perfection. It’s a hospital for the hurting, a place where the broken are supposed to find healing, not more wounds.

Reflection Questions:

•Is there a wound you’re carrying from someone who misrepresented God to you?

•Have you distanced yourself from church to protect yourself from pain?

•What would it look like to separate God from the people who hurt you?

Action Step:

Today, ask God to reveal any unresolved church hurt or anything you’ve been hesitant to confront. Invite Him to render your heart and begin the healing process tenderly.

Many say they don’t need church because they pray at home, but prayer is only part of the picture. The church is God’s house, a sacred place for gathering, growing, and hearing His Word in the company of others. If church hurt has kept you away, I challenge you to take a step of faith: find a church and attend a service. Let God meet you there. Let Him do what only He can do: restore, redeem, and renew.

Prayer:

Father God, thank you for a new day. Thank you for the breath that you have placed in my life, and the new opportunity that you have graced me with to live a redeemed life. Father, I ask you for strength, courage, wisdom, and guidance as I deal with any open wounds from people who have misrepresented you. Lord, I ask you to speak to me so that I can listen, and teach me so that I can learn. I am thankful that you are faithful enough to correct me. Your love is everlasting and pure. I offer my life, my wounds, and my future to you. In your name I pray, Amen.