I was recently blessed by a comment on Facebook by a person who decided to return to our church. The person said, “It’s time to go back home”. I wanted to shout. I immediately began to think of others that I wish would come to the same conclusion. Then I started to wonder– what is it that makes it so difficult for folks to get back where they ought to be? I’m not talking about the particular case I just mentioned, but people in general. People leave churches for all kinds of reasons and they struggle with different things that prevent them from returning. I am writing this with a prayer (literally) that it will help someone else say, “It’s time to go back home”.
I would guess that the number one reason why people don’t return is the difficulty of admitting that they were wrong in leaving. As with lots of things, the first step in getting right is admitting you are wrong. That’s not easy for anyone–pride gets in the way, but it is essential. If you are somewhere in life that you shouldn’t be, which may or may not be a sinful place, get out of there as fast as you can. Where you are might not be “bad” in and of itself, but it’s not where you should be. I can think of many good churches, where it is fine for others to be, but there can be only of which God wants me to be a member. For me that place is LBC. It might be different for you, but wherever that place is that’s where you need to be. For some people that would mean coming back where they left, and I don’t know of a single member that would not be thrilled by your return—no questions asked!
But there is another thing that needs to be considered. Anytime a person leaves a church there is a reason and most of the time it’s not a good one. Some leave because of an embarrassment of some sin in their life. Others leave because they don’t like something in the church. They find fault, criticize and leave the church so as to draw attention to their displeasure. They leave although there is no justification for it. However there are times when there are things that are wrong and they have a right to disapprove. But that doesn’t give them the right to openly criticize others or to leave the church. There are no perfect churches. Am I suppose to resign every time I discover some fault with the church? Why then should you? We need to go on regardless of the faults of others. Sometimes getting back to where you ought to be means living with those things that displeased you. Your assessment of the other person’s faults might be spot on, but that doesn’t mean you should leave or stay away. The wrongs of others should never keep you from doing what is right. Come home!
I can’t hardly wait to hear someone else say, “It’s time to go back home” and see them back in church serving the Lord. I have some names running through my mind right now, and I promise, I’m going to be looking for you this Sunday. You don’t have to explain a thing or say a word. I just want to see you back home again. There is no problem God can’t solve if we trust Him. It’s always better to work through our problems than to run from them. Think about it!
