When tempted to complain in counseling about the never-ending, recurring problems, we must develop or maintain the same view of ministry as the Lord Himself. It is no coincidence that the “raw material” from which the Lord Jesus wants to create men and women in His image is usually somewhat more problematic than the average, even in comparison with the world. This is by no means a systemic flaw but part of God’s plan, and thus fully intended (2 Tim 1:9).

Has your congregation ever experienced brothers and sisters getting into open disputes about topics like the exact sequence of end-time events or even the color of the church carpet? Are you sometimes tired of the many brothers and sisters who are unwilling to forgive? Do you wish you had more members with whom you could have a good conversation about topics from history to politics? Why is the discipleship process so challenging, and seemingly the same issues must be taught or practiced repeatedly?

Why, of All Places, Are So Many Challenging People in the Church?

We all know that pastors and counselors face never-ending challenges. Suppose one looks at how little their congregation is reflecting the wisdom and character of our Lord and Prince of Peace; one could almost inwardly resign a little and conclude that the conditions in the congregation are worse than outside in the world. This is not so, but the apostle Paul enlightens us at the end of First Corinthians about a fascinating truth, which to my knowledge, is rarely preached or spoken about:

For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are (1 Cor. 1:26-28).

Paul observes that very few among the Corinthians stood out for intelligence, influence, or distinguished lineage. One could put it even more drastically: the raw material from which the Lord Jesus builds His church is usually anything but attractive in terms of its starting material, not even by worldly standards. On the contrary, it is precisely that which counts for nothing in the world that God has chosen: If we were to stop at verse 26, we could still argue that God has called a few extraordinary people into His church. But in verses 27 and 28, Paul becomes even more explicit: As a rule, God usually calls people into discipleship who are not attractive by human standards, who have a flaw somewhere. Please allow me to make a drastic comparison: In commerce, we call it a “second choice,” or in the industry, “rejects.”

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