Who You Lookin' Out For?
by Anita Smith
Photo by Pop & Zebra on Unsplash.
A question I have asked myself on more than one occasion.
Growing up, the oldest of three girls, I was told, (a.k.a. entrusted) with the safety of my two younger siblings. Walking to and from school, to the park, to friends’ houses, riding bikes- basically wherever I was, I was looking out for them. Every once in a while, I wondered- who, if anyone, was looking out for me?
I grew up in a single-parent household, bi-racial, and Baptist. We were churchgoers most of my young life. I probably should mention that it was a predominantly white (with the exception of my two sisters and me) church. The church, to me, represented a place where we went to learn what God wanted us to know about the Bible, how to behave, and how to get into Heaven. At that point in my life, as young as I was, I just memorized what I was told to, sang what everyone else sang, and prayed like everyone else- I grew up not ever connecting to church or those in it. Church to me at that point represented boring hymns, shaking hands goodbye and building my memory bank of scripture. I was a believer, but of what, I wasn't certain.
I am betting it comes as no surprise that I experienced a descent away from the church and even my faith- for a while. Intermittently, though, would go- hoping to find a church, a place I fit, felt welcomed, looked out for, and could look out for others. I often wondered if there was such a place and whether my search even had a point to it. I would wonder if others felt the way I did. My faith walk felt at times lonely, fake, and void of purpose and connection. I knew a lot of people that didn't go to church and scoffed at being a Christian. Thankfully, one thing I did not doubt and fully believed was that Christ died for me. That one belief kept me going on the walk, despite its meandering nature.
Photo by Jannes Glas on Unsplash.
Flash forward, to me becoming an adult with a young family of my own, floundering about, making things happen on my own. Or so I thought. I caught myself looking into the sweet innocent eyes of the little ones I was looking out for, and realized I was also responsible to for helping them find a relationship, that I sincerely hoped existed. Hopefully one much better than I grew up understanding. I wanted to give my children a chance to develop a relationship with Christ in a church that felt like home. I hoped for them- us- to be part of a community that believes in the powerful word of God, and shared in a community aspect of the church. I kept seeking this family that accepted anyone and everyone as I saw Christ do so many times in the Bible.
As our lives took us across the globe, I diligently sought out that relationship. I was insistent upon looking out for one, even if some of the churches we encountered were not doing the same.
Does church seem welcoming to you? Does it seem relevant to what you need? Do you see the church and its occupants looking out for you and others or more of itself, and its image? Is your relationship with Christ dependent upon the church?
Here is where I hope you say no. My relationship with Christ is my own, not the church’s. Church is the place where I can go to hear the Word of God and build on Christ’s mission- to love all of God’s children...not just certain ones.
Photo by Dino Reichmuth on Unsplash.
I have to do a sidebar for a moment... in my relationship with Christ, I have discovered the freedom to be who he meant me to be truly. Many times in the churches I have encountered, they wanted a cookie-cutter Christian. I often perceived that we were to worship a certain way-I should save this for another conversation.
Happily, I am definitive that God didn’t create me to follow blindly. I have felt driven in my search to find a place where my family and I could develop a stronger loving relationship with Christ and amongst his family- an opportunity share in a community of brothers and sisters looking out for one another. Philippians 2:4 says,
Look out for one another’s interest, not just your own.
Not excluding one another or differentiating one another.
I did find a church that welcomed everyone. I felt loved, and my family grew and blossomed in this church. We each discovered an even greater relationship with Jesus. No one was left to feel an outsider. They looked out for the elderly, the homeless, the new to Christ, and those not so sure. There was so much love from this house of believers. And the day we had to leave, I knew I would search again to find another home.
In my search, to strengthen my faith, I discovered that the church has its place and is relevant to believers. We need a place to learn more about God’s Word and foster relationships of love. The church, to me, has to be a place of inclusion, love, and forgiveness- just as Christ would want. I ask you as you sit in your church,
Who are you looking out for? Would God be okay with who you are looking out for? Is it out of love? Or conditioning?
Photo by Raul Petri on Unsplash.
Resources
We’ve created a free downloadable PDF to explore the article deeper. It contains discussion questions about the topic in general terms that will give you a jumping-off point for beginning a conversation.
The second page contains a way to see the topic from a biblical perspective.
And finally, to go deeper into the subject, we have chosen a few curated resources to explore from other authors’ and thinkers’ research or perspectives.
Read. Engage. Enjoy!
WHAT DO YOU THINK?
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