America’s Greatest Strength is also Her Greatest Weakness
My pastor often says “Your greatest strength can also be your greatest weakness.” Some of my greatest strengths are leadership, independence, determination, strong-driven personality, etc. But if I’m not careful….those same strengths can become my greatest weaknesses if not directed towards God and His purposes for my life.
I think that statement is true concerning our country as well. America’s greatest strength is the BLESSINGS OF GOD over our nation. But sadly, I think that God-given strength has also become our greatest weakness. Because of God’s abundant and continued blessings over our country as a whole, we’ve become EXPECTANT and as if we are deserving of God’s gifts to us.
As I wrote in my previous blog, I’ve just returned from a two-week trip to Uganda, Africa visiting my daughter. The above picture is a plain, wooden bench that seats the people in their church services throughout the week. And it’s no small church, mind you. With 6 different campuses, located throughout the capital city of Kampala, Watoto Church is a thriving, growing, healthy church of over 25,000 members!!!! ALL WHO SIT ON TINY WOODEN BENCHES every single service that they attend…..multiple times throughout the week.
We attended the Saturday night and mid-week services. Watoto’s mission is simple: “Celebrating Christ…..caring for the Community”. And CELEBRATE they did!! The Ugandan people know how to have church!! Often times throughout worship, the voices of the congregation were louder than the worship team on the stage with microphones!! NEVER have I experienced anything like it in my life!
That particular service, 1200 adults were in attendance. The sanctuary was a large cement room, WITH NO AIR CONDITIONER and no ventilation. Two small side doors were open to help get some air into the room. People were packed in that room like sardines but you heard NO complaining at all……just joyful (and I do mean JOYFUL) worship and adoration to the Lord!!
After the worship, we all took our seats on the wooden benches. PACKED IN TIGHT. There was no 18”-24” rule like we have here (meaning that studies show in the U.S. that people have 18”-24” of space between them and the other person or they won’t come back to church), I mean PACKED close to each other, up in each other’s personal space……hot and sweaty kind of packed!
The service lasted two hours. People weren’t getting up and moving around. People weren’t talking or complaining. People weren’t shifting around in their seats (except for me…..my tailbone went numb on several occasions and I was afraid that, once service was over and I stood up to leave, I might fall down because I was loosing all feeling my legs!! So the pitiful, white American had to shift a few times on that bench to keep the circulation flowing!!) People were intently listening to the teaching of God’s word and soaking up every single word that was spoken.
As I sat through those amazing services, I thought, “Americans wouldn’t sit on this bench for a minute, much less for two hours…..in our churches back home.” OUR GREATEST STRENGTH HAS BECOME OUR GREATEST WEAKNESS. The blessings of God have caused us to grow selfish, comfortable, and unaware that our blessings are to be shared with others. Our country has been blessed……really blessed, and we must remember that God’s blessings on us shouldn’t be just for us.
Jesus’ words are still true, “From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked.” (Luke 12:48) We are blessed to be a blessing!! May we never forget that truth and that responsibility!
Please hear my heart on this…….I LOVE MY COUNTRY. I love that I live in the most blessed and prosperous nation in the world. The church is alive and well in America and God is pouring out His spirit in unprecedented ways across this nation!! While the news channels daily paint a gloom and doom picture of our future……OUR GREATEST DAYS AS THE CHURCH ARE AHEAD OF US!!! I am confident of that truth!!
But what I am saying is this: Do not allow our God-given strength to become our greatest weakness……especially in the church!!
I have been privileged to sit in some of the most beautiful church buildings in America, with the people of the church doing an awesome work for God and His kingdom. It is possible to have a beautiful church building while also BEING THE CHURCH.
Church buildings are important to house the people of God and all that He’s called us to. But it’s not the building (or the pew or the bench) that makes the church…..IT’S GOD’S PEOPLE WHO MAKE THE CHURCH. We are called to BE THE CHURCH not to just put our church name on a building and call that “church”.
My husband and I have pastored people and helped to build God’s church for the past 25 years. I LOVE the church. And I also LOVE the people who are called to BE the church.
That’s what I saw so distinctly and so beautifully in Uganda……THE PEOPLE OF GOD BEING THE CHURCH OF GOD…… even if they had to sit on wooden benches.
“Father God, please help our country and our churches greatest strength remain our greatest strength. Remind us once again that Your blessings on our lives aren’t to make us more comfortable or satisfied but to help us be a blessing to other people (and churches) who aren’t as blessed as we are…..Amen.”