Are you or someone whom you know overly self-critical? As an oldest son and a “Type A,” I can be pretty tough on myself. Maybe you can identify. We overlook the positive and dwell on the negative. The proverbial glass is “half empty” even when it is overflowing. Churches can be the same way. Despite the obvious blessings of God around us, we tend to criticize and dwell on everything that is wrong.  

Why is this? I certainly don’t have all the answers. But I have a couple of thoughts.  One is that we are quick to compare ourselves to others. Our standard of success is the other churches that seem to have it all together – full parking lots, trendy Instagram Reels and the perfect demographic. Another is that we have lost our perspective. We stop seeing the world through the lenses of Jesus. We have missed the mark of His standard and have settled for pleasing others and the blame game. What can we do? Perhaps we can get back to the basics: “Do the things you did at first.” (Rev. 2:5b) In other words, pray for a renewed perspective — “eyes to see” (see Matthew 20:32-34). 

What does this look like? Consider the following story where a young woman’s life was changed through the unexpected.  

Some years ago, with the help of her denomination’s mission money, she helped to establish a halfway house for women who are recovering addicts. She schedules twelve-step groups, arranges for childcare, and helps to get the women back on their feet. In a lot of ways, you would never expect her to be involved with such work. She is even-tempered, gentle, and articulate. But something happened a few years ago that caused her to see anew. 

She was a graduate school student in Pittsburgh, looking for a part-time job. A newspaper listed an administrative position with a soup kitchen. She thought it looked interesting, applied and got an interview.   

On the day of her interview, she dressed in a dark blue business suit, put together a folder full of her resume and references, and clipped back her hair. Arriving a few minutes before noon, she saw the sign: “East End Cooperative Ministry.” She knocked on the door. Someone inside said, “It’s unlocked.” She went in, only to find a long line of people in front of her.  

Disappointment was an understatement. Then she realized it was lunch time. The people in the line weren’t there for the same interview, they were waiting for a meal – this was a soup kitchen. 

She grew nervous as she looked at the people in line. Some of them, in turn, looked at her. She felt self-conscious about the way she was dressed. Others began to sense her anxiety. A woman in a moth-eaten sweater smiled and tried to make conversation. “Is this your first time here?” 

“Yes, it is,” she said. 

“Don’t worry,” said the lady in the sweater, “it gets easier.” 

“The scales fell from my eyes that day,” reflected the young woman. “I went there looking for a job, and that woman thought I was there for soup. As far as she knew, the world had been as cruel to me as it was to her. But in the kindest way she could, she welcomed me as a fellow human being. She saw me as someone equally in need, which I was and still am. I didn’t realize it at the time, but that was the day when God began to convert me.” 

Looking around the halfway house, she smiled and said, “You see all of these wonderful things God is doing here? They began when God gave us eyes to see where Jesus was leading us.” (Adapted from “No Box Seats in the Kingdom,” by William G. Carter) 

Once, Jesus asked, “What do you want?” (Matthew 20:32)   

HRBC, we could ask for more prestige, more people, more likes, more power, more money . . . for the good-old days . . . but what if our church began to answer Jesus’ question, “What do you want?” with this: “We want eyes to see.” 

Come to worship this Sunday, January 19^th at 10:30 for a time of celebrating what God has done this past year and to focus on the year ahead. You will hear celebratory stories from our Vision pillar leaders and an exciting report from our Financial Group and RiseUP Team! Come with hearts filled with gratitude for all God has done and in anticipation of what He’s going to do! Join me in praying that HRBC will have a renewed perspective and eyes to see. 

God’s richest blessings,