Restoring Trust in God and His Church

The church is filled with the most beautiful people, amazing experiences, and life-giving relationships. God’s plan for his church is that it’s a source of abundance and joy. However, the unfortunate reality is that many people are hurt in the church community.

Church hurt can feel like a deep wound — one that causes broken trust not only in the church but also in God’s ability to work through His people.

Whether it’s from unmet expectations, misunderstandings, or failures of leadership, broken trust can be deeply painful. When trust is broken, we build walls around our hearts, distancing ourselves emotionally from others. We show up, we serve, we give, but internally, we’re holding back. We can become guarded, unsure of whether we can fully trust again. These walls are self-protective measures. They seem like the best way to keep ourselves safe from further pain, but they also prevent us from experiencing the depth of connection that is needed in a healthy community. We become stuck in the hurt, unable to move forward.

This is where healing is needed. God calls us to bring our brokenness to Him, to allow His love to restore our hearts. Sometimes, we get stuck in our pain and don’t give ourselves the space to process it properly. Our hearts remain closed off, and we don't even understand why we can’t fully give ourselves to the community anymore. It’s because something within us is still wounded, still unhealed.

Some of the deepest hurts within the church occur around things we hold most dear — our time, energy, and finances. The connection between our treasure and our hearts is undeniable. When we invest deeply — whether financially, emotionally, or spiritually — any mishandling of those investments can wound us. Whether it’s a disagreement with a leader, a broken relationship, or a situation where we feel forgotten or overlooked, these experiences leave us with wounds that can affect how we engage with others.

The path to healing begins when we choose to trust God again. This looks like trusting that God will heal our hearts, but also, that he will do so within His body. This can feel daunting, but as we explored in previous weeks, it’s vital we don’t remove ourselves from the community God has created for us to exist, grow, and even heal in. It might need to start with just a few chosen, trusted people, but over time, you will find yourself more comfortable and confident in stepping deeper into the community.

Reflect:

• Have you ever experienced church hurt, at any level? Is this something that you still feel the pain of?
• Is God calling you to a path of healing? To re-engage with the church again? Can you trust him today to heal those wounds?