“I’m done with the church,” she said, her voice shaking slightly. She stirred her tea, the spoon clinking against the porcelain a little too loudly, and the pain in her eyes was unmistakable. “I went there hoping to find God, and all I found was people who were supposed to be His followers hurting me.”Her words weren’t a shock to me. I’ve heard this story countless times. It’s a tragedy that so many people, seeking comfort and connection, walk into a place of worship with an open heart, only to leave with deeper wounds. It makes perfect sense that you’d feel betrayed and want to walk away.But can I offer you a different way to look at it?

The Church as a Hospital

The church isn’t a museum for perfect saints; it’s a hospital for the broken.Think about a real hospital. You don’t walk in expecting to see a crowd of healthy, whole people, do you? You see patients. Some are there with a small ailment, a minor cut that needs a bandage. But others are fighting for their lives against something as severe as cancer. There are different wards for every kind of sickness, a pediatric ward for children, a mental health wing for those struggling with their minds, and a substance abuse center for those battling addiction. This is exactly what the church is. It’s a rehabilitation center for souls. The Pastor is the one operating it, but the true owner and overseer is God Himself. Just like in a hospital, some patients have found healing and now volunteer as nurses and doctors, helping others. But many are still sick. They haven’t had the patience to truly heal, and in their own pain, they sometimes hurt others. They are patients bumping into other patients in the waiting room.You went there looking for a place to heal and to belong. You were looking for the cure, the Great Physician. Instead, you got bumped into by a nurse who was still limping, or a “doctor” who needed a surgeon themselves. And now, you’re tempted to walk out of the hospital entirely.

A Direct Line to the Healer

Please, don’t let someone else’s sickness prevent you from seeing the Head Doctor. Don’t walk out of the hospital without ever speaking to the one who owns it. You have a direct line to the Owner, a direct line to God. He is waiting for you.Don’t let the imperfections of people steal your opportunity to know the Father. Fall in love with God and Jesus, and let that love be your guide. Because that is the enemy’s greatest trick: to use the wounded to turn away those who are seeking healing. The Bible reminds us that the true Healer is always near to those who need Him most. As it says in Psalm 34:18: “The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.” He is near to you, right now, in your pain.

What has your experience been? Share your thoughts below.