When the Church Hurts: Finding God Beyond the Wounds

 “For many people, the reason they stopped going to church wasn’t because they stopped believing in God. It was because someone in the church wounded them so deeply they didn’t know how to stay.”  Our Host Jane Morin will be addressing the issue head on today and bringing hope to those who have suffered at the hands of those in the church.

To learn more about this ministry go to: https://www.selahandpsalms.com

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:00

Welcome to Selah and Psalms, a place where you can pause, reflect, and find hope. And now, here is your host, award-winning author, Bible teacher, and evangelist Jane Morin.

SPEAKER_01 0:13

Hi friends, I have a question to pose to you. Have you been hurt by the church? Well, today I want to share with you a way that you can find God beyond those wounds. You see, for many people, the deepest spiritual wounds do not come from the world. They come from the church. That sentence alone can stir up emotion, and the church is supposed to be a place of refuge, healing, truth, and love. It's where we gather to worship God, to grow in faith, and to find community with fellow believers. Yet for countless people, the very place meant to bring healing has become the source of profound hurt. If that is your story, you're not alone, and more importantly, your pain does not disqualify you from God's love or his presence. I just want you to know that when the church hurts you, God has not abandoned you. Church hurt can take many forms. Sometimes it comes through leadership failures, manipulation, or abuse of authority. Other times it happens through gossip, judgment, and exclusion, or broken relationships within a congregation. We would be foolish to consider that the Bible never speaks of such things. In fact, the Bible never pretends that God's people are perfect. Scripture openly reveals the failures of those who were supposed to represent him. For instance, King David was betrayed by his own son. Moses faced rebellion from those he led. The early church dealt with division, hypocrisy, and conflict. Even Jesus himself experienced betrayal from within his closest circle. Judas walked with him, learned from him, and witnessed his miracles, yet he still chose betrayal. The painful truth, my friend, is this people in the church can fail us and sometimes deeply, but we must realize that their failure does not define God's character. One of the greatest dangers of church hurt is that it can cause us to confuse God with the people who misrepresent him. This is similar to experiencing trauma by a trusted doctor's hands and then calling all doctors quacks. When someone in spiritual authority wounds us, it can distort our understanding of who God is. Now we may begin to believe that God is harsh, controlling, dismissive, or even distant. However, scripture consistently reveals a very different picture. Psalms 34, 18 reminds us the Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit. God does not minimize your pain, He draws near to it. When the church wounds you, God moves closer, not farther away. If you do not sense his presence, it isn't that God decided to forsake you. Just turn around and you'll find him right there. One of the most comforting truths in Scripture is that Jesus understands religious betrayal firsthand. Some of the harshest opposition Jesus faced came not from outsiders, but from religious leaders, the very people who were meant to guide others toward God and his love. In Matthew 23, Jesus openly rebuked leaders who burdened people with legalism while neglecting mercy and humility. His anger was not directed at wounded believers, it was directed at those who use spiritual authority to harm others. In saying all that, I want you to know that if you have been hurt in church, Jesus is not standing against you, he is standing with you. Healing from the church hurt rarely happens overnight. The wounds are often layered with confusion, grief, anger, and sometimes even shame. Many people quietly carry questions like, was it my fault? Did I misunderstand what happened? Can I ever trust another church again? Or is there a perfect church anywhere? These questions are normal and God is not afraid of them. In Psalms chapter 147, verse 3, he offers a powerful promise. He says he heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds. Did you notice the imagery? God binds wounds. Healing is often gradual and intentional. It involves time, truth, and the gentle work of the Holy Spirit restoring what has been damaged. The most important truth for anyone recovering from church hurt is this: God's faithfulness is not dependent on human faithfulness. People may fail, leaders may disappoint, churches may make serious mistakes, but God remains steady and true to his word. Hebrews 13:8 says Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. Friend, God does not change his mind about his love toward you or even the full price of redemption that he paid for you and those who hurt you. Your experience with a church may have changed your perspective on faith, but it does not change who Jesus is. He is still the good shepherd who seeks the wounded sheep. For many wounded believers, the path forward begins with rediscovering God, apart from the painful memories tied to a church environment. That might mean returning to Scripture with fresh eyes, praying honestly about your hurt, or seeking safe and a healthy spiritual community again when you are ready. Safety comes in numbers, so forsaking the believers is not the answer. I suggest you find one or two people who hear from God and are willing to pray for you, listen to you, and offer wise counsel and foster an environment of healing that will restore you. Proverbs 12:15 states the way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but he that hearkens unto counsel is wise. Other times healing begins in quiet moments with God, on a porch with the Bible, on a walk, or in the stillness of prayer where no one else's expectations are present. In those spaces, God often reminds us that our relationship with Him was never meant to be controlled by human institutions. On the contrary, for our relationship with God has always meant to be a personal relationship. Church hurt does not have to be the end of your story with God, my friends. Some of the most compassionate, wise, and spiritually mature believers are those who have walked through deep wounds and allowed a God to restore them. You're listening to one of them right now. But in the Bible, we see references like Joseph, who was betrayed by his own brothers, yet God redeemed his story. David experienced betrayal but still wrote psalms of trust. Peter denied Jesus, yet he was restored, and afterwards became a pillar of the early church. God has always specialized in redemption. Your pain may feel like the closing of a chapter, but in God's hands it can become the beginning of something deeper, something even better. If the church has hurt you, your pain matters. God sees it, He understands it, and He cares more about your healing than about preserving anyone's reputation. You're not weak for feeling wounded. You're human, and the same God who heals broken hearts is able to restore your faith, your trust, and your hope. The church may have failed you, but God never will.

SPEAKER_00 9:12

Thank you for joining us for the Sayla and Psalms Podcast with our host Jane Morin. To learn more about what this ministry has to offer, go to Saylaandpsalms.com. Until next time, God bless you, and we look forward to being with you again right here, where we take time to pause, reflect, and find hope.