What’s Wrong with the Church? (And Why It Might Be Me)
What if I told you, the biggest problem with the church might be me? And maybe… you too.
I know that’s a bold statement. But stay with me.
We expect the world to be broken, that’s no surprise. It’s full of corruption, selfishness, and systems that hurt more than they help. You see it in the news, online, everywhere. But when that same kind of brokenness shows up in the church the one place that’s supposed to be different, it hits harder.
The church was meant to be a refuge. A place of hope, healing, grace. And instead… for a lot of people, it’s become another source of pain.
Far too often, the church looks and acts just like the world. It causes the same kind of pain. We lie, cheat, manipulate, and take advantage. Corruption spreads behind closed doors. Some even hold signs that promote hate instead of hope. And that breaks my heart.
The church, the bride of Christ, the hope of the world, is doing the opposite of what Jesus intended As a pastor, I talk to people almost every week who’ve been hurt by the church. And I don’t mean surface-level stuff, I mean deep wounds.
Rejected when they needed grace.
Pushed away when they just needed someone to listen.
Shamed instead of welcomed.
Told to clean themselves up before they could come in.
Used and manipulated in the name of Jesus.
And maybe… that’s part of your story too.
The Tension
The church, the one place meant to reflect the love of Jesus, so often ends up looking just like the world.
We lie. We divide. We hold signs that spread hate instead of hope. We chase power, platforms, and popularity more than we chase Jesus.
And that doesn’t just break my heart, it makes me wonder: What went wrong? Why does the church, the bride of Christ, sometimes look nothing like Him?
Now, hear me out , I’m not here to bash the church. I love the church. I’ve given my life to it. But we can’t ignore the problem. We can’t fix what we won’t face.
And maybe the problem isn’t “out there.” Maybe… the problem is in here.
The Point
Years ago, a newspaper asked readers to respond to the question, “What’s wrong with the world today?” Famous author G.K. Chesterton wrote in and simply said:
“Dear Sirs,
I am.
Sincerely,
G.K. Chesterton”
He understood something most of us struggle to admit: The problem isn’t just what someone else is doing. The problem… is me.
I am the problem. The church is messed up because I’m in it and… because you’re in it too.
The church looks the way it does because it’s full of broken people. Sinful people. People like me. People like you.
You see… the problem with the church is that they let people like you and me in the building.
And I don’t know about you… but I’m pretty good at screwing things up.
Now I want to pause here, because I know some of you reading this have been hurt by the church in ways that run deep.
You didn’t screw things up… someone else did. A pastor betrayed your trust. A church shamed you when you were already broken. You were told to stay silent, or to forgive and forget , while the person who hurt you kept preaching.
If that’s your story, I just want to say… I’m so sorry. That was never God’s heart for you.
What happened to you in the name of Jesus does not reflect the character of Jesus.
You are not the problem. You were wounded. And if you’ve been carrying that pain for months… or years… please hear me:
God sees it.
He sees you.
And He wants to heal you.
What others intended for harm, He can redeem for good. He can restore you. He can bring joy and peace back into your life. I want you to know that.
Now, the reality is… the church is a mess.
But that’s exactly why Jesus came.
Not to fix all the “other” people who are supposedly worse than us… But to fix us. To heal us.
To redeem the broken. To restore the wounded. To heal the hurting. To use people like you and me, messed up and all, to show the world what grace really looks like. That’s what the cross is about.
Paul puts it like this in Romans 12: “Don’t think of yourself more highly than you ought, but think of yourself with sober judgment.”
That kind of humility changes everything. When the church stops pretending it has it all together… And instead owns its brokenness and clings to Jesus, that’s when it becomes beautiful.
Not a place of performance, but a place of grace. Not a museum of saints, but a hospital for sinners. A community of people who can say: “I got some problems… but Jesus is the solution.”
The Challenge
So… what’s wrong with the church? I am. You are. But that’s exactly who Jesus came for.
He came for us, the broken, the beat up, the burned out. We can’t undo all the hurt others have caused… or even the ways we’ve screwed up. But we can take ownership of our part.
We can take steps toward the life Jesus is inviting us into. We can find hope and healing in Him. And we can show others what’s possible through grace.
And if you’re wondering what that looks like, how to run to Jesus right now, let me make it simple: Talk to Him.
Seriously. Right now, wherever you are. Tell Him where it hurts. Tell Him where you’ve failed. Tell Him what you’re afraid of.
You don’t need the right words. You just need a real heart. Because Jesus isn’t waiting for you to clean yourself up, He’s ready to meet you right in the mess.
So take a breath. Say His name. And run to Him. He’s not pushing you away. He’s inviting you in.
That’s the beauty of the Gospel. That’s the beauty of Jesus. And that… is still the hope of the church.
We might have some problems… But we have a Savior who meets us in them and is actively helping us fix them.
