By Dr. David Cannistraci
Have you noticed that reality television shows are
sweeping our nation? Like it or not, programs such as NBC’s Fear
Factor and The Apprentice, ABC’s Extreme Makeover and Fox’s American
Idol are revolutionizing the way millions of us entertain ourselves.
Though some of these shows contain objectionable content, I must
admit to enjoying CBS’s Survivor series. Survivor has an interesting
set-up: For 39 days, 16 castaways are stranded in a dangerous,
remote location. They are forced to band together and carve out a
new life. They have to use their wits to form tribes, build shelter,
find food and win rewards.
Day by day, the rough conditions and competitive challenges test the
endurance of the survivors while cameras capture their unscripted
experiences. Those who succeed are rewarded and stay in the game.
Those who fall short risk being voted off at the Tribal Council.
Each week, another contestant is voted off, until only the Sole
Survivor remains to claim the reward: a million dollars in cash.
When I first saw Survivor, I was overcome with a strange deja vu
experience. Where had I seen this kind of reality--the social
cliques, secret divisions, unbridled rivalry and shocking
betrayals--before? Then it came to me: I know where I’ve seen this.
These people are in my church, and they’re playing this game!
That’s when an idea for another reality series was born in my heart:
Survivor: The Local Church! Okay, this may be a little over the
edge, but before you vote me off the island, just think about it.
As believers in local churches, we are like strangers stranded in a
strange world. We band together into groups, carve out new lives and
struggle to work together. All too often, we hurt each other and
lose our rewards. Shouldn’t we learn how to overcome these
challenges and become soul survivors?
Survival Skills
All kidding aside, as a pastor, I want to see people become
successful in the local church experience. God designed the church
as a place of healing, blessing, maturing and restoration for our
lives, and it can work beautifully.
But since we’re talking about reality, we should face the fact that
sometimes the church can be a pretty dangerous place. Anyone ever
been abandoned by a distracted leader? Betrayed by a brother or
sister once trusted? Blindsided by a church split?
Despite the many blessings of the local church, we can be hurt
there, especially if we don’t know what the rules are. In the
Survivor series, everyone has to follow the rules of the game, or
they lose their chance to win. What are some rules we should stick
to as we work toward surviving in the sometimes perilous setting of
the local church?
1. Don’t compete with other members of the tribe. Ted faded
out of his church because he constantly clashed with Gene. It didn’t
seem right to Ted that Gene was made an elder. He himself had been
in the church a long time. Why hadn’t he been promoted?
Nobody wins when carnal competition kills the spirit of unity.
That’s why Paul warned Timothy to mark those who have “an unhealthy
interest in controversies and quarrels about words that result in
envy, strife, malicious talk…and constant friction” (1 Tim. 6:4-5,
NIV). The health of any spiritual tribe begins with a love that
draws them together into one heart and vision to succeed together.
2. Flow with your tribal elders. Will and Donna became
enraged over the direction the worship pastor gave them for their
dance ministry and began a subtle campaign against her in the
church. Why couldn’t they dance when and where they felt led? These
man-made rules were grieving the Holy Spirit, they said. They
eventually left, pulling their daughters out of the youth group and
away from the friends they loved.
It may not be a popular truth, but the Bible teaches us to fully
cooperate with our spiritual leaders—and for good reason. “Obey
those who rule over you, and be submissive, for they watch out for
your souls…” (Heb. 13:17). Having a balanced relationship with a
healthy Christian leader is key to our survival. Resisting them is
resisting God, and it opens the door to hardships (see Rom. 13:1-2).
When we have a disagreement with a leader, we should determine if it
is a matter of essential biblical truth (such as the deity of
Christ) or just a difference of opinion (such as what color the
sanctuary chairs should be). If a leader is in violation of God’s
Word, humbly appeal to him. But when it comes to mere differences of
opinion, the Lord expects us to cooperate for the sake of unity and
our own spiritual health.
3. Avoid having unreasonable expectations of the tribe. Pam
joined a church with high hopes that this would be the place where,
finally, her deepest needs would be met--but within a year announced
that she was upset because the leaders never seemed to have enough
time for her. She missed the message of David, who said, “My soul,
wait silently for God alone, for my expectation is from Him” (Ps.
62:5).
Sometimes people get disappointed when they discover the church
can’t meet all their needs. The truth is, the church isn’t supposed
to meet all our needs. Only God can do that. Instead of expecting
too much of others, we need to remember that people are not our
source. Let’s put our trust in God. He never disappoints!
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