Jesus loves messy people

I've been reading through 1 Corinthians 12 over the past few weeks.  As I've read I've tried to remember all the issues the Corinthian church was struggling with.  They were struggling with cliques and which leader they were following.  They wrestled with lawsuits among themselves.  They seemed to be plagued with sexual immorality.  They were neglecting the poor.  They were putting certain gifts and manifestations up on a pedestal.  You name it and it they seemed to struggle with it.  This was a messy church.  And, it's to this church, with all its issues that Paul writes, "Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it" (1 Corinthians 12:27).  I'm so glad that Paul didn't write that to a church that had it all together.  So is your church messy?  Are there cliques?  Do people have sexual struggles?  Are people divided?  Take heart.  You ARE the body of Christ.  Jesus seems to love redeeming and restoring messy people and shaping them into His image.  In fact, if a church isn't messy, I would argue that it's probably just good at masking its issues.  If we want to see real transformation, we need to love the church and all her mess.  We need to humbly come to Christ in repentance, seeking the transformation that only He can do in our hearts.  My prayer is that you are encouraged today as you seek to love Christ's messy bride.