spurred

That says ‘spurred,’ not ‘spurned’. Unfortunately, the former is not as easy to find as the latter. Especially for those with dreams, visions, and desires beyond the ordinary, the status quo, the day-to-day. Tragically, the imbalance of spurn to spur is prevalent, even in the body of Christ.

My father-in-law recently sent me a cartoon with a dejected pastor and an enthusiastic layman sitting at a booth. The booth has a sign that reads, “slam the pastor, $5” while the layman exclaims, “we’ve just paid off the CE wing, and now we’re going for a new parking lot!” Even what starts off as a good spur can end in a stinging spurn. For example, after one recent Bible study, one saint remarked, “I really like your Bible studies – you’re a really good teacher...” (At this point, i’m about to graciously accept the kindness, until the rest of the comment) … “In fact, you may have missed your calling.” At which point, i could simply smile and bite my tongue.

This kind of treatment is not just reserved for pastors, but is very much alive between the pews. Sometimes this lay-spurn is blatant and direct, but more often experienced in a spiritualized, guerilla warfare through any number of looks, whispers, Sunday afternoon lunches, and business meeting power plays. Andy Stanley says it’s often disguised in the form of prayer requests, as gossip is masqueraded through the prayer chain.

The tragedy is that it’s not disguised to a watching, skeptical world. What we think are only read by our compatriots is clearly perceived by young Christians and unbelievers alike. In the end, the church loses, the Kingdom suffers, and God weeps.

God had a different design for his people. Even before sin corrupted a perfect world, God saw there was something wrong in paradise. God’s first observation of man was that we needed others. In creating Eve, God created relationships – the spurring kind – positive, intimate, encouraging, challenging, reciprocated, interesting, humorous, comforting, inspiring.

One of my favorite verses regarding the fellowship of believers has been Hebrews 10:24, “let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds.” Last night, we were able sit around a table with friends and share some struggles, share some passion, laugh together, pray for one another – and in the process fulfill that verse. My wife and i left spurred. (to those friends, thank you)

Today, i sat with other pastors and lay leaders from other churches in Alabama. Together, we prayed, sought God, wept, shared hurts, shared burdens, shared dreams, and more. We read Scripture, and meditated and spoke of our God who is able to break down every dividing wall of hostility, while propelling His church against the very gates of hell to reclaim lost souls. In the process, i was drawn not only closer to God, but closer to everyone in the room – even particularly closer to one that i had not ever really seen eye to eye with. At the end, we embraced and share mutual respect and appreciation for the heart and dreams of the other. i left spurred. (to those men and women, thank you)

Wouldn’t it be great if that was more common? What if spurring was more prevalent than spurning? Wouldn’t our churches be different? Wouldn’t our pastors and lay people be healthier? Wouldn’t the Kingdom win? Wouldn’t it?

Another dream? i know. So will you spur it or spurn it?