“There was a man named Nicodemus, a Jewish religious leader who was a Pharisee. After dark one evening, he came to speak with Jesus…” John 3:1-2
I’ve heard various stories about why Nicodemus came to Jesus by night. Personally I believe it was because he was curious about Jesus, and as the Scriptures point out, it was very evident that God had sent him to teach them a new way of finding right standing with Himself. However, Jesus was not popular with the Pharisees. In order to be accepted by his own people Nicodemus had to seek Jesus out in private.
I love the song “I’m Not Alright” by Sanctus Real. I never had permission to not be alright for a long time as a Christian. Over the last several years things have changed and now I feel free to not have it all together. I understand that my goal is to become more like Jesus, but as long as I am alive, I will always battle my fallen nature. I just wonder, why is it that the church has created an environment where people have to act like Nicodemus did? Why is it that people don’t feel free to walk through our doors and freely say without the fear of judgment, “I’m Not Alright!“
- I wonder how many lives would have been saved if people could say, “I’m Not Alright” and not be preached at?
- I wonder how many pastors, who eventually ended up giving into moral failure, would still be preaching if they could have said, “I’m Not Alright” and not be shunned or abandoned?
- I wonder how many teenagers would have grown up and raised their families in church if they would have had the freedom of saying, “I’m Not Alright” without being branded in a youth ministry?
- I wonder how many people could have received hope and grace or found redemption if they had the freedom to say, “I’m Not Alright!“
Why is the church afraid to let people be broken and to seek answers? The honest truth is, growing up, at least 85% of the answers I received to my questions, were essentially “Just trust me” or “That’s what the Bible says” (without a Scripture reference or with a Scripture reference out of context). Could it be we are afraid for people to ask questions to seek healing for their brokenness because our faith and our beliefs have been based on what we were told to believe, so beyond that, we really don’t know how to extend help to people? We don’t have answers because we only know what we’ve been told to know?
Check out the video below and then join the conversation: “Why does it seem the church has created an environment where people cannot be honest when things are “Not Alright?”