If any Christians or any church has hurt you, made you feel like an outsider, denounced you, led you to turn away from Jesus, or anything else like this, I'll be the first one of many to tell you that I am sorry and my heart breaks for whatever situation has left you scarred in the name of the God who deeply loves you. I am sorry and my heart breaks for whatever situation has left you scarred in the name of the God who deeply loves you.

For those who don't feel they belong in church or are too far gone, the gospels make it clear that Jesus finds such value in the people that the world has discounted. He calls on the lowliest or most hated people to share the most incredible and important story ever told. Even the story of the apostle Paul's conversion and his letters in the New Testament echo this sentiment. Honestly, the whole Bible shows how God wants to use the people we would never choose. He calls himself the worst of sinners in 1 Timothy 1:15, referencing his persecution of Jesus' followers before his conversion. 1 Corinthians 1:27 talks about how from the beginning God has called the weak or the foolish to glorify His name. All of this goes to say that the church is, and always has been, a place for the broken people of the world to band together and find hope, love, acceptance, and a family.

Don't be fooled by people who shame you for sins or personal differences that they disagree with. As Jesus alludes to in the gospel of John, none of us should be casting any judgment on others, because we all have our issues and sins. Even the most devout person struggles with something, whether it be a crippling secret sin or constant spiritual warfare with their thoughts and desires. Unfortunately, I think this is one of the most common offenses that leads people away. Some in the church have criticized others for not upholding standards that they themselves will never be able to meet. We as Christians should be jumping at the opportunity to help people and bring them closer to Jesus rather than condemning them and sending them further away.

I could write about every possible issue that people face, but another one that I felt should be addressed is mental illness. Mental illness is one of the issues that churches still have a hard time wrapping their hands around, especially because most people, in general, have a hard time understanding it. For those who have felt shunned because of mental diseases, chemical imbalances, depression, anxiety, and so on, don't let people's misunderstanding be what keeps you from the love of Christ. My family, friends, and myself included, have all dealt with these things in some way. It can definitely be hard to deal with in the church environment specifically. People already lack understanding in the first place, so this coupled with faith in God can be confusing for believers.

Struggling with anxiety or depression doesn't mean you lack faith or are being punished or anything like that. In many cases, it's not in your control, honestly. Do I believe Jesus can bring radical healing to these situations? Yes! Of course! However, like most things we fight with in life, it doesn't always go away in an instant. Dealing with brokenness and struggles in our lives takes time. Even personally for me, though it may be ridiculously tough at times, I can see that fighting through our struggles brings new revelation of God's faithfulness and love, strength to overcome future adversity, the ability to help others through their trials, and an even greater testimony of how Jesus has worked in our lives! He is still good through these times although our minds will find every reason to think otherwise. So, to those that this resonates with, give grace to those who don't get it, and find people who are willing to walk with you and seek more of Jesus with you to help get overcome these situations.

Thankfully, I've been involved in two churches that have embodied the values of loving people where they are, building them up, and drawing them closer to Jesus through relationship and walking together through life. Of course, all churches and all Christians aren't perfect, so there can still be room for offense and misunderstanding. By no means am I out to bash the church, but the truth is that people are imperfect and will always let us down at some point. Thankfully, though, Jesus isn't like us! He always comes through (not always when we would like but in his even better, perfect timing), is eternally faithful, and loves us not because of who we are, but because He absolutely adores us despite anything we could ever do!

In closing, to all who have been offended, hurt, and cast out from Christian circles:

I challenge you to try again with Jesus.

He is still pursuing you and desires to have a deep relationship with you! He died and rose again, defeating death to restore the amazing relationship we were made to have from the very start.

This may not be the only thing holding you back, but regardless I would love to talk with anyone about these types of situations or really just about Jesus in general.