The Church
"Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her."
Devotion
If Christ loved the church enough to die for her, should we not love her enough to live for her? The bride of Christ is not a building, a program, or an institution—she is the blood-bought, Spirit-filled assembly of believers for whom the Son of God shed His precious blood.
Yet how casually we treat the church! We attend when convenient, serve when comfortable, give when we have excess. We criticize her faults while ignoring our own. We consume her resources while contributing little. We demand excellence in her programs while offering mediocrity in our commitment. This is not the love of Christ!
The church is imperfect because she is composed of imperfect people—yet she is precious beyond measure because she belongs to Christ. Love her as He loves her. Serve her as He served her. Sacrifice for her as He sacrificed for her. In doing so, you honor the One who purchased her with His own blood.
Meditation Moment
Pray for your church by name. Ask God to strengthen your pastors, unify the body, and empower the mission. Confess any critical or consumer-minded attitudes. Identify one specific way you can serve the church this month—then commit to doing it. Pray for other churches in your community, that the whole body of Christ would flourish.