To Go or Not To Go to Church?
I grew up a preacher’s kid and was involved in church until my mid-20s. However, as I grew older and, in my mind, wiser, I started to see behind the curtain a bit. And what I saw, I didn’t like.
Over time, I stopped attending church.
I didn’t like the hypocrisy of seeing people say one thing, yet do another. I didn’t like the legalism or judgmental attitude of others. Over time, I settled into a mindset that I could have a great walk with God and a relationship with Jesus as long as I kept my quiet time and my prayer life alive.
Are you currently at this point?
Occasionally, I would venture out and visit a church here and there. But I never felt completely comfortable with one aspect or another. There was always something that kept me away. I used all kinds of excuses.
I was tired after a long week of work or I needed to spend time with my family. But I never used these excuses when it was something I wanted to do, like work out at the gym or take a vacation.
Basically, I had used one excuse or another to not get involved in any church.
Then it hit me! I finally came to realize and understand that behind my own curtain, I was a hypocrite too.
Yes, you read it right! Behind my own curtain, I was judging others for their attitudes and their behavior and I was exactly like them.
Here’s the truth: everyone is a hypocrite. Everyone is a sinner who has issues. Every church has issues. You know why? Because churches are run by humans, and humans are hypocrites (aka sinners).
However, at this point in my life there was a HUGE difference between them and me. They were at least trying to serve God and build the Kingdom.
Being out of church really started to weigh on me. I knew I had to adjust my attitude, get right with God, and get involved. Today, I’m actively involved in my church.
Sure, I still see people doing and saying things that I don’t necessarily agree with. I’m also 100 percent sure others say the exact same thing about me.
I want to encourage you to stop the excuses.
It’s time to get right with God and it’s time to get involved in a Bible-believing, Bible-teaching church.
Nathan Tabor is a speaker and founder of Handling Life. Handling Life is a ministry focused on helping others “handle life” by turning back to God. All Handling Life materials are from a Bible-Based, Christ-Centered perspective. If you would like to learn more about Nathan or invite him to speak please visit HandlingLife.org.
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