“CHURCH - GOING”

By Ray K. Hodge

            People should go to church. Of course they should. We need to study the Bible and to worship God. We need the fellowship of Christian people. But just dutifully attending church will not guarantee spiritual growth and health.

            Suppose your automobile needs repair. A reputable automotive service center is where it should be taken. However, you cannot expect any improvement just because a car is parked in a repair shop.

            The car is in the right place for repair, a place with the tools and people needed for repair, if someone is to work on it. But just leaving it there will not get it fixed, any more than waiting in a doctor’s office can rectify being cross-eyed.

            In the same vein, sitting in a classroom won’t give one an education and sleeping in a hospital won’t cure a malignancy. Take your car to the shop and give instructions for its repair. When this has been done and the problems are corrected, the car can be used.

            How foolish for people to think that just going to church will solve their problems. In fact, there are people who might have become critical of the church because their problems continued even after attending church. They think it’s the fault of the church and the people there.

            Unless a person enters into a spirit of willingness for correction, not much can or will take place. Nor should it be expected to do so.

            Church is the right place to be, however, if we are willing for God to help us and use us. Getting there is a first step. But a person must open his or her heart to God.

            We must turn to Him in repentance, seek forgiveness, exercise our faith in Christ, and submit to his will and purpose. Then our church-going will have been good indeed.

            All of us need to be in church. We need the inspiration of God’s presence and the support of his people. We need regular exposure to these influences.

            Isaiah experienced God’s presence and heard God’s call when, in his grief over the death of the beloved king Uzziah, he did the only thing he knew to do: go to the temple for worship and for God’s guidance.

            What happened there (Isaiah 6:1-9) was very real to Isaiah. Others were there, but there is no indication that they saw, heard, and felt what Isaiah experienced.

            The same is true in every worship service. Some experience God while others may not experience anything, depending on what they are seeking or are prepared to receive.

            How enriched our lives will be with these blessings if we will accept God’s healing and grace.