To go or not to go

That is the question. A lot of people face this question on Sunday morning. Do I go to church or do I stay home? I get it. You've been working all week you have life struggles and complications that you have to deal with and church is just another thing on the list of things 'to-do' that you don't wanna do. What's missing one service. Or a few weeks. Or even a month. No one is going to care or it doesn't matter. But Hebrews encourages us to not give up meeting together and encouraging one another.

I hear ya. You are stressed out. You are overwhelmed. You have too much that you are facing. You have a mound of laundry that you have to deal with. Oh, believe me when I say, "I understand." But let me put this into a slightly different view for you. All of these things seem like an excuse to me. I'm not saying that you don't have valid points or that life isn't stressful. I'm saying, check your motives. I'm not downing you. I'm not trying to yell at you or guilt trip you.

I don't care where you go. I don't care what church service you attend. I'm saying, DON'T STOP GOING! You may be thinking Why? The church is filled with hypocrites. And you are completely right. It is! But let me put a quote here and let you think about it.

It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners."

Do you know who said that? Jesus did. When you walk into a church, you are going to encounter those people who act high and mighty.  It's gonna happen. Does that mean it's right? No. But you have to remember that Christians are sinners too. And if they are going to church for the right reason's it's to get fed. Not just the donut table as you enter the building. But to have their spirit fed. To be convicted. To be taught something in a different light regardless of who is in the pulpit. 

Yes, you could decide not to go to church and that's all up to you! BUT let me tell you what I have experienced when I haven't gone to church. This isn't the case with everyone but it was with me. I was in church heavily for 8 years. Children's ministry, Media ministry, you name it. I tried to help. Then one day something piled on and I said, "That's it! Enough is enough!" I walked away. ONE THING kept me from entering church again. I was out of church for about 9 months. I fell into deep depression.

I started spending my time doing other things. Not reading my bible. Not pushing myself to learn. Not caring about anyone or anything other than myself. I became cold and self-centered. I didn't want to help anyone else because I was 'hurt.' When I started with the church that I'm at now, I gained a circle of people again. It wasn't just about the people, but I was pushed. My feelings got hurt by the word and I was convicted of things. I began to grow. 

I feel like I have a family of people I can text and talk to. I have made a connection with people who love me for my faults, they are many. I have a group. I have a place I feel I belong. And I hope that I make the other people who attend church with me feel the same way. I don't care what you are doing. Don't settle. JOIN a group of people who will encourage you, push you, and love on you!