Our purpose is usually a common thread found throughout our lives. We often wonder why we are on Earth and how we can do the most good with the days we have, but we don’t always know how. Some of us know how but allow fear to prevent us from taking the first step. Admittedly, I have been one for whom fear has gripped and controlled in many ways.
I love the church, but I’ve sat quietly for many years when I should have spoken up. I allowed comfort to lead me instead of Jesus Christ. Yet I continued to gripe to my friends and family about some of the issues that I noticed in the church, but I was too fearful to do anything about them. I was passionate about expressing my views but lacked the courage to take a step. Honestly, it took the problems in the church to break my heart, which led me to take the faith step of planting Unique Church. I brought my heartbreak and questions regarding the church to God. I asked God two questions: Are we supposed to worship You (God) or people? Why does fighting in the church seem more important than helping others develop a more mature relationship with Jesus?
With tears and heartbreak, I wondered, if we don’t make space for current and future generations, what happens to the church in the future?
As I prayed, I was reminded of a powerful quote by Frederick Buechner which says,
“The place God calls you to is the place where your deep gladness and the world’s deep hunger meet.”
I didn’t want to believe that God was calling me to move from being a critic and bystander to a disciple who uniquely follows Him. But God was calling me to a new chapter and a different journey. Unique Church is a faith step that has offered lessons that have transformed my life. Two lessons I’ve learned so far are:
Realize you are unique, and your life will not be a clone of anyone else.
Recently, Luka Dončić was traded to the Los Angeles Lakers. In his first game with the team, Lebron James told him, “Don’t fit in, fit the *colorful language* out". Lebron James knows that Luka is an amazing basketball player who doesn’t need to play small just because he plays on a different team now. Just as Luka is a unique basketball player from Lebron James, we are all unique and different in many ways. Ephesians 2:10 says,
10 For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.
God has uniquely designed each of us and our journeys. Our lives may be similar, but they will never be the same. Don’t beat yourself up because you aren’t perfect or due to the mistakes you or others have made. Sometimes, our imperfections and mistakes lead to a Romans 8:28 moment where all things work together for our good!
Pray like your life depends on it because it does
Experiencing heartbreak from the church led me to accept God’s invitation to pray more instead of only sitting in my emotions. Sitting in my emotions left me angry about what was happening, hurt by my past, and sad about the uncertainty of my new reality. Through the dark emotions, I faintly heard an invitation from God to bring my anger, hurt, and sadness to Him. My prayers allowed me to sit with God, to be healed and led by God to what was next for me. It was in this time of prayer that God reminded me of Jeremiah 29:11, which says,
11 For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.
This verse reminds me that God’s purpose for my life is from God and not people. God's purpose for us all involves people but does not originate from humanity. This led me to be reminded of Philippians 1:6
6 And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.
These reminders helped to lift my spirit and pushed me to pray even more. Unique Church is a faith step that God has led me to through prayer and is a realization of my calling from God.
Unique Church is a community of people who are unique in their makeup, filled with the unconditional love of Jesus, and who are unrelenting in living out the Gospel.
This is an outpouring of what God has called me to, and I pray that God will allow Unique Church to help unique people grow in God and live out their unique callings daily!
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