I’ve heard it said, “It doesn’t matter if I go to church, I’m just as much a Christian as anyone else.” And that may or may not be true. My problem with that theory is, if you’re a Christian, why don’t you want to go to church? This is not a blog to make you feel bad, it’s a blog to make you feel… even if you, like I, can’t wait to get to church! We’ve likely all heard the synopsis of God’s house being our spiritual dinner table, and how you wouldn’t turn down a real meal if you were starving so why are you turning down the spiritual meal. This is my theory on that ~ we’re filling ourselves up on junk food.
One of the blessings of being Noni to my six grandbabies is that I am the final authority on food at my house. And I tell my daughters, “please make sure they eat well at your house, because at my house that’s not always the case.” There has to be someone in our lives with nutritional guidelines else we’d all have cheesecake for breakfast, potato chips for lunch and brownies topped with ice cream for dinner. Or whatever your dessert of choice is. The same is true spiritually, except we miss the mark. God’s house is not only our sustenance to live by, it’s like getting dessert all day long! But our mind is so filled up with the junk of the day and the week, and the life that we don’t feel we have room for any time in the house of God.
So here’s what you’re missing by not coming to God’s table…
FAMILY
Oh, and before you go there, I know you have your own. But that’s not like the one at God’s house, even if they include yours. God did not tell us in Hebrews 10:25 “not to forsake the assembling of ourselves together” because He wanted to do a head count every Sunday; He wanted His family gathered around to share in the struggles of the week and be encouraged through His word to face the coming days. As a parent we long for that time with our children when it’s not about dragging them into your company, but having them desire your company and the sweet companionship of one another. That’s church. It’s a banquet table full of God’s children in fellowship with one another and ready to feast on His word.
FLAVORS
We don’t eat just for the sake of eating… well sometimes I do, but generally it’s because we have a craving for a flavor. And not just one… else it would get pretty tiresome. God created us with taste buds so that when the food slid across our tongues it would bring joy! And so does hearing the word of God. Every week it’s a different flavor and it tastes different to everyone there. I know there are some who show up at God’s table and refuse His banquet, but that’s their loss. They may not like the way it’s served or the way it was prepared but if only they’d came hungry, they’d have appreciated it more. The world will fill you up! On self, pride, heartache, etc and leave no room for enjoying God’s feast.
FEELINGS
It’s so easy to shut down and stop feeling. The world is harsh and I can fill up on it with about 10 minutes of news, 2 minutes of family dismay or less than that of someone’s woe is me story. I need church to refresh my soul and start my feelings flowing in the right direction.
2 Corinthians 1:4 reminds us that God is our comfort zone.
Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.
He’s our comfort so that we may be prepared to comfort someone else and draw them into the love of God when they see what He has filled us with.
Maybe you can’t think about comforting anyone else because you have enough on our plate. Dump that junk food in the trash and head to house of God to fill your soul with His goodness!