Having not been raised in a Christian household, many things stood out to me once I became one. Mentors, hypocrites, liars, Batman, and villains…it all seems much more dramatic once you realize the price paid and the cause of Christ. And as an extrovert it has been a bit difficult to adjust to the culture of church as well.

Recently a delicate situation came up involving an organization I was quite close with, claiming to be both non-profit and Christian. They were clearly not as they claimed to be. Only a small group of people knew this. The extrovert inside of me was running wild. After all, there are numerous supporters involved, didn’t they need to be informed or the organization confronted?

I'm convinced there are certain people who need to be called out on things publicly. Whether it's because they refuse the sound advice of Scripture, disciples, or elders, or because they purposefully hurt people. In these moments I'm often quick to offer my services. Remember me? Extrovert? This situation though, was as huge as Caesar. My extroverted self diminished. Prayer is my best friend, but so is avoidance. My husband and I cared for the founders, their family, and the organization. We also knew that all were unhealthy in many ways and needed rebuke. One day my husband said, “rebuke in love” when we were praying together. Naturally, I Googled it.

The handy scripture from Sir Google? First Timothy chapter five—Paul talks about the qualified leaders, the importance of providing for one's family, reputation and dishonesty. Verse 20 states: “As for those who persist in sin, rebuke them in the presence of all, so that the rest may stand in fear,” (ESV). Discovering Paul’s words regarding public rebuke was huge for me. It fit my personality and the situation we were struggling with. It reminded us we all needed gumption as Christians.

I didn't expect to stumble upon so many verses in Scripture where bold actions were justified. Where acting out loudly was even demanded of me as a believer. I'm not going to lie, it felt pretty rebellious. Jesus is the extrovert's hero, tossing tables at the market and cleverly remarking to “give to Caesar what is Caesar's.” His actions had to be loud in order to make a difference in the lives of certain people. Not everyone needed this type of confrontation, only some.

The actions of this organization had definitely angered many of us. We had to reach a point of peace before getting into our table-tossing mode. After that, our hearts broke for them and the urgent need for them to see their blindness. We had repeatedly tried to talk with them privately prior to taking things public. Our words fell on deaf ears. Sometimes people don't want to be made well, which is what Paul knew when he wrote this verse. It's why he emphasized the importance of making things public, so that others may be aware of a situation. That awareness took approximately six months.

In that time, more than prayer and our words were needed. Elders, long time friends, and the community and Board of Directors slowly grew to see the evidence of a broken people and organization. They also grew the courage to confront the founders and finally closed the organization down. These actions made the founders angry. They never got to the peace past the anger, or saw the picture that God, Paul or any of us were trying to show to them. It's difficult to find comfort in doing God's work when it comes with hate and lacks acclamation. The comfort can only come from Christ, knowing we are trying to live as he did—even if it means tossing a few tables along the way.