Healthy Church

A business, club, group or church can be healthy or sick. So how can a group be “sick?”

Picture a healthy local business, like a bike shop. They make custom bikes. Some of the workers use vulgar words, have trouble with their spouses/partners, drink too much off the job, and have poor credit, but they make good bikes. People buy them.

Another shop in town is “sick.” They make hats. Three generations run the store. They have good ethics and work hard, but people don’t buy their hats.

A “sick” business doesn’t achieve much. It has memo wars, waste, poor morale, rival power centers, and high staff turnover. A “healthy” shop brings out the best in their workers despite their flaws. It creates a climate of common purpose and good will. They achieve much. Three thousand years ago, wise King Solomon of Israel, achieved the latter.

Here is what the Queen of Sheba found when she came to inspect his kingdom.

“When the queen of Sheba realized how wise Solomon was, and when she saw the palace he had built, she was overwhelmed. She was also amazed at the food on his tables, the organization of his officials and their splendid clothing, the cupbearers and their robes, and the burnt offerings Solomon made at the Temple of the LORD. She exclaimed to the king, ‘Everything I heard in my country about your achievements and wisdom is true! I didn’t believe what was said until I arrived here and saw it with my own eyes. In fact, I had not heard the half of your great wisdom! It is far beyond what I was told. How happy your people must be! What a privilege for your officials to stand here day after day. . . ‘(2 Chron 9:3-7a NLT).”

The queen found a robust, healthy group, working well and achieving much, because they were “listening to his wisdom” (2 Chron 9:7b NLT).

Here are a few insights from Solomon’s Proverbs to help a good church stay healthy. Think of them as the motor oil that lets moving parts to work together with less friction. Add them to the church bulletin or post them over the coffee machine. Accept them as “just the way we do things here.”

3:3 Do not let kindness and truth (or mercy and faithfulness) forsake you. Bind them on your neck, Write them on the tablet of your heart, (LSV)

When issues come up, we balance “kindness” with “truth.” “Kindness” means we assume good things about people, cut them some slack and give the benefit of the doubt. Then comes the truth. We get the whole story and are faithful to being fair. Then we decide what to do.

11:16 “A gracious woman gets honor, and violent (or strong) men get (only) riches (ESV).”

We are always to be on the lookout for those who do better things with less help.

12:25 “Worry weighs a person down; an encouraging word cheers a person up (NLT).”

We know the power of well-chosen words, or a single word to do much good even when the concerns are great.

14:10 “No one has knowledge of a man’s grief (or bitterness) but himself; and a strange person has no part in his joy.

We move from stranger to friend when we are worthy of trust. Only then can we help move the lonely, broken soul to wholeness.

15: 6 “In the house of the upright man there is a great store of wealth; but in the profits of the sinner there is trouble (BBE).”

We believe in “wealth.” It is not the same as money. Wealth is the broad blessing of a well-managed life.