It’s that time of year again. It’s Christmas, a time when people who normally don’t go to church, go to church. There are many who have set their own standard for righteousness, and one of their chores, to soothe their conscience, is to go to church at Christmas time. While Christmas is a special time for Christians, going to church does not gain merit with God, and grant redemption for all the other opportunities we have missed. Think about it, why do you go?
Everything we do, we do for a reason. I take my vitamins because I want to be healthy. I make lots of desserts when my family comes home because they love them. I could go on, but you get the point.
Why do you go to church? Is it because of Hebrews 10:25 commands us to come together for worship.
Hebrews 10:25 “Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.”
Do you go to church for social reasons? All my friends are there, and the church is so friendly. It is good that your friends are there. The closest people to us should be believers. Those are the ones that influence our lives. In Acts 2:42 the early church continued daily going from house to house. They shared everything for the betterment of the whole. So that is a good benefit of church attendance.
Act 2:42 “And they continued stedfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.”
Do you go because that is just what you’ve always done? Mom and Dad went to church and it’s just a good habit. Going to church is a good thing, that is where you hear the word and give the Holy Spirit something to work with. If you are there, you are hearing.
Romans 10:17 “So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God”.
All of these reasons are benefits of going to church, but they are not the reason we should go. Our passion should be to worship our Savior. We should long for time with Him and with others of like faith. There should be one main reason that we go to church. Our love for Him should be a consuming passion that dictates everything else we do in life. It should be the governing factor that motivates our actions. Do you have that kind of passion? Is all your life motivated by your love for Him? If I were to ask you that face to face most Christians would answer “I go to church because I love Jesus.” But, is that true? Have some quiet time and examine yourself. Get real with yourself and determine what really motivates you. Be honest with yourself. God already knows what motivates you. Don’t give yourself a pass because you know the “pat” answer to the question. Make sure the answer is from your heart.
Matthew 22:37 “Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.
