By David Faust
What does it mean to say your back is “out of whack”? How can you tell if something is “in whack”? Whack means to strike sharply like a hammer pounds a nail or an axe chops a tree. Imagine a drummer beating a cadence on a drum, and you can understand why “out of whack” means being out of rhythm or out of step. According to another theory, the expression “out of whack” arose when frustrated owners had to strike finicky motors or appliances to get them to work—as in, “My lawn mower won’t start unless I whack it.” (Wacky, by the way, originally meant someone who had endured a hard blow to the head.) Something is out of whack when it’s not in top form or working the way it was designed to perform.
Let’s be honest. A lot of local churches don’t operate well. It’s beautiful when they do—when the body of Christ functions with harmony and efficiency. But it’s rare to find a congregation where everyone is “speaking the truth in love” (Ephesians 4:15) and aligned around a common mission. Something is out of whack in the church.
BUSY BEES
Insects provide a positive example of industriousness and cooperation. “Go to the ant, you sluggard; consider its ways and be wise!” (Proverbs 6:6).
A high-functioning colony of honeybees illustrates God’s marvelous design. Inside a beehive, some worker bees guard the hive while others build the comb, care for the queen, or collect and store nectar. Some of the workers provide natural air conditioning; they adjust the temperature of the honeycomb by fanning their wings. Others (called undertaker bees) remove dead bees from the beehive.
Why can’t God’s people be so well organized? Why are churches often so divided, disorganized, and ineffective?
SLOPPY AGAPE
Here’s an unpleasant thought: Maybe you and I are part of the problem. What kinds of problem people make the church out of whack?
Activity Addicts. Some church members are always on the go, but they have forgotten why. They volunteer a lot and seldom slow down, but a flurry of activity doesn’t guarantee spiritual maturity. Like Martha who “was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made” (Luke 10:40), activity addicts stay busy, but they miss the blessings of sitting quietly at Jesus’ feet.
Love Laggards. For some Christians, church revolves around their personal preferences. Love laggards practice sloppy agape. For them, love is something to receive, not to give. They stick around if the church meets their needs and they “get something out of it,” but they don’t put much into it—and they’re quick to go elsewhere if anything displeases them.
Imperfect Perfectionists. Hypercritical church members find fault with others and smugly assume, “Things would go better if they were done my way.” In an imperfect world, though, it’s hard to be a happy perfectionist, because we all have flaws. Imperfect perfectionists are never satisfied with others because deep down they are frustrated with themselves.
I hate to admit it, but sometimes I recognize symptoms of dysfunction like these in myself. What if one thing that’s “out of whack” in the church . . . is me? Can we learn to serve the Lord with humble, cheerful hearts, working hard while always remembering why? Let’s take a whack at it.
Personal Challenge: On a piece of paper, list things that bother you about the church you attend. Then pray about each item on the list. In your prayer: (a) ask the Lord to give you grace, patience, and humility toward other members of Christ’s family, and (b) ask the Lord what you personally can do to improve any areas of weakness in your church.
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