What Lurks Beneath

Healthy Church Consideration #3:

"Health and sickness aren't always discernible with the naked eye;

some diseases and ailments are only seen when we look deeper."

The discovery of germs forever changed how we humans view the world.  The realization that microscopic predators, invisible to the naked eye, could find their way into our bodies and wreak deadly havoc on them enabled us to begin the steady climb toward conquering all known diseases and ailments.  We have a long way to go, of course, but we're much closer to that goal than we were a few generations ago.

Is it any surprise to us that the spiritual reality is the same for us?  Subtle and underlying dangers are ever poised to weaken and/or defeat individual disciples of Jesus and His churches.  Like skilled doctors, we who lead this church of Jesus must be able and willing to probe passed the surface of things (e.g. Sunday morning attendance, offerings, mood, etc.) so that we can accurately diagnose the health and well-being of our church family.  To neglect this level of care and concern is to invite weakness and defeat!  Check-ups and examinations are needed in the pursuit of spiritual health just as they are in the pursuit of physical health.  We must be clear on what dangers threaten us and how to spot them.

So what are some of the hidden and subtle dangers that lurk under the surface of church life?  I invite you to share some examples that you can think of - especially those you see lurking under the surface here in our body of Christ.