I have seen many posts on Facebook over time and heard personal testimonies from people who feel they aren’t getting enough attention. The story often goes, “I stopped going to church and no one visited me or called me or sent a card, etc.” These posts usually get a string of sympathetic comments bashing how unloving the church is. My question is, when did church members become so high maintenance? If you look at the complaints like: “No one visited me”, “No one sent me a card”, “No one called me”, “No one asked me where I was”, the stand out focus is “me”. Which scripture in the Bible validates the concern?
Paul encouraged the church in several of his letters to strive for maturity in the faith. The writer of Hebrews put it this way, “So let us stop going over the basic teachings about Christ again and again. Let us go on instead and become mature in our understanding.” (Hebrews 6:1)
What does that look like? It is when I no longer need someone else to take care of me, and my focus becomes outward instead of on what I need. I call this being a low maintenance Christian. No one has to feed me, change me, burp me, or rock me. Imagine how proud your pastor will be when you pick up the spoon for yourself.
I’m sorry if this sounds harsh, but church can not be and was never intended to be perpetual day care for every member. Rather than wondering who didn’t do something for me, shouldn’t I be asking, “who can I call”, “who can I send a card to”, “who can I visit.” I would hate to try to explain to God on judgement day that the reason I wasn’t participating in the mission of the church is because no one paid enough attention to me.
Let’s be low maintenance church members. We will get a lot more done.
