Dwelling

And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. - John 1:14

     Heard an amazing message from this passage this morning. Touched on a lot of things that I have been thinking about and convicted about for a while. The past few years have been a challenge for me to grasp the true meaning of church and my part in the church. I've done a lot of studying and a lot of searching and the one sure conclusion I have come to is that we have it all wrong. God really spoke to me this morning. This verse tells us that Jesus came and dwelt among us. He didn't walk among us, he didn't pass through us, he DWELT among us. The God of the universe was willing to spend His time surrounded by sinners. He sat and ate with men who had done things absolutely repulsive to His holiness and righteousness. He showed compassion and love and understanding to people who never even acknowledged their Creator. If my Lord and Savior could dwell among such people, why do I struggle to commune with my church family? Church is filled with so many cliques and clubs and so much gossip and backstabbing it's like an episode of reality television. I'm not following the simple example of Jesus. We're not showing the outstretched hand of our Savior. I'm not showing the compassion of my King, nor am I dwelling with my family as I should. The first step to fixing the church is realizing that it isn't about any of us. It's about Jesus and Him alone. He is the Head of the church and we should follow His example. An example that shows grace and love to the most lost of sinners and especially to His own family. If the Holy God of the universe can dwell among sinful men, I think it is the least that I can do to dwell among my brothers and sisters peacefully as we work toward a common goal.