Distraction, Division, or Destiny: Who Will Write Your Church’s Story?
By Tyler Long, Washington Conference personal ministries director
What if I were to tell you that the enemy of souls has a strategic plan for your church? It’s true.
In Testimonies to Ministers, page 475, there’s a sobering account of a strategy meeting that Satan holds with his leadership team. In that meeting, the enemy lays out his agenda, and I want you to listen to these words carefully. He says:
“We must cause distraction and division. We must destroy their anxiety for their own souls, and lead them to criticize, to judge, and to accuse and condemn one another, and to cherish selfishness and enmity. For these sins, God banished us from His presence; and all who follow our example will meet a similar fate.”
Did you catch those keywords?
Distraction. Division. Criticism. Judgment. Accusation. Condemnation. Selfishness. Enmity. That’s his plan. That’s his vision and mission for your church.
But here’s the good news: God’s vision stands in direct opposition to Satan’s agenda. Imagine if our churches lived out the Sermon on the Mount — refusing distraction and division, rejecting judgment and condemnation, and laying aside selfishness and enmity. Imagine a church where people find grace, encouragement, and unity in Christ.
I don’t know about you, but that’s the kind of church I want my family to be a part of — a church marked by grace, unity, and love. After all, that is the vision worth embracing, and that is the mission worth living.
So, let me leave you with some questions to ponder:
What type of Christian do you want to be in this church?
When a visitor walks through your doors, what experience do you want them to have?
How can your words, actions, and leadership reflect God’s vision rather than the enemy’s plan?
Our church’s future depends on these choices. Will you participate in God’s mission, or will you allow the enemy to dictate the story?
The answer matters.