Done?

If I never see it again it’ll be fine with me.  “Done” - I see it in their eyes. Where once a gleam burned bright for the work of the Lord it is gone. They may hang on for a while but they are done.  They may keep showing up but they checked out, done. They occupy a pew, but their heart isn’t in it, done.  It’s a horrid feeling to go from actively engaged to done.  To go from fully excited to done.  Some event changed things. You thought you’d be made a elder but for some reason you were not.  Some person said something. A preacher didn’t speak or respond to you, someone accused you falsely - done.  Some series of happening brought on the perfect storm. Done.  Done is not where you need to be or want to be but it is where you are! You have a little group you talk to about it -and you are all - done.  And the group feeds itself the meals of all the reasons why and it accumulates and adds to the list each time a new event or statement makes them all aware they are - done!   I’ve seen it for over 40 years as a Christian now. I’m not sure what to do with done.  As a preacher I’ve seen people who I love with my soul go from in love with their church to done in a one week period.

What do I want to say to the done?  I want to say it is satan’s (I know it’s a proper name but nothing about him is proper so I refuse to capitalize it) work. he wants nothing more than to steal your joy and your commitment to the Lord and HIS Work. And if that deceiver can make you believe it is the fault of an action of the elders or the preacher or some brother or sister he’ll love that even more.  I want to say "I've seen your ugly work, and what it does to friends, to people I love, get behind me 'done'!"  I want to say, "forgive, bitterness looks bad on all of us". I want to say to “done” be “undone”.  Talk it out - refuse to be done! Refuse to be done. Refuse to be done. Reconnect. Find a new role. Fulfill an old role. I want to say “grow up”, we all get hurt, even by people who love us sometimes. I want to cry out - Don’t be done.  Don’t let it happen to you, it will squeeze the joy from your heart.  Don’t be done!

But “done” if you’ve done your work and you can’t undo it - then - and it pains my heart to say it - but leave.  Find another “part” (congregation) to be fully engaged in.  If you are done then you are doing neither your congregation, your family or yourself a favor.  And this time don’t be undone by done.  Only the enemy wins in done!