Hurt

Johnny Cash’s last hit song was a cover of “Hurt,” by Trent Reznor¹. Here is the chorus:

What have I become?
My sweetest friend
Everyone I know goes away
In the end

And you could have it all
My empire of dirt
I will let you down
I will make you hurt

Many of us have let people down and caused people hurt. We are not supposed to be that way. The Apostle Paul tells us we are to bear the fruit of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control². There’s no wiggle room in the fruit of the Spirit for us to let people down. Just the opposite; we are to lift them up and make them disciples!

Jesus said, “Go therefore and make disciples³ ?” Can you guess how much money a local church spends in America to make a single disciple? A study of 66 churches in one city found that it cost an average of $81,203 to baptize one person. The cost was lower for new churches, but they still spent $21,276⁴.

God withholds His blessings when we embrace the cares of this world. I like the creature comforts in my local church building—padded pews, reliable air conditioning and heating, beautiful architecture, and paved parking lots. God spoke to the prophet Haggai about this condition. His message was originally for the Israelites, but it is also for those of us who have put our faith in Jesus.

“Why are you living in luxurious houses while my house lies in ruins? This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says: Look at what’s happening to you! You have planted much but harvest little. You eat but are not satisfied. You drink but are still thirsty. You put on clothes but cannot keep warm. Your wages disappear as though you were putting them in pockets filled with holes!

– Haggai 1:4-6 NLT – Bible Gateway

In nearly every church I’ve been a part of, people come in and go out and are never noticed. In many churches, I’ve found that members sit among fellow believers, yet they are afraid to ask for prayer, afraid to confess a sin, afraid to show godly affection, afraid to say they feel afraid. They hurt but are not comforted. How can we represent Jesus while being comfortable with silence?

I hope that you and I will be the exceptions, providing comfort to the hurting, investing ourselves in the lives of others, and making disciples through the simple acts of sharing a home-cooked meal, a few visits to a local coffee shop, and plenty of time together, sharing God’s word, praying, and encouraging.

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Footnote

1. Johnny Cash – Hurt. (n.d.). Genius. Retrieved October 27, 2024, from https://genius.com/Johnny-cash-hurt-lyrics
2. Bible Gateway passage: Galatians 5:22-23 – English Standard Version. (n.d.). Bible Gateway. Retrieved October 27, 2024, from https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Galatians%205%3A22-23&version=ESV
3. Bible Gateway passage: Matthew 28:18-20 – English Standard Version. (n.d.). Bible Gateway. Retrieved October 27, 2024, from https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew%2028%3A18-20&version=ESV
4. Corley, L. (2015, April 21). How Much Does it Cost Your Church to Reach One Person for Christ? Lane Corley. https://lanecorley.com/2015/04/21/how-much-does-it-cost-your-church-to-reach-one-person-for-christ/