Category: Reality

Why Do You Go To Church?

Do you go to socialize?

We should enjoy the company of others when at church. We should enjoy friends that have the same goals and share common interests.

Do you go to get a pat on the back from the pastor or other people?

We should go to church to be encouraged and also to encourage others but that should not be our primary purpose.

Do you complain about how services are organized or what music is played?

If God is calling you to help with the job then you should be sure to step forward to see where you could be of help. If not, then you should enjoy the parts you like and ask God to help you with the parts that are meant for others to enjoy.

Do you complain about the message?

If the pastor is not preaching from God’s Word then you may want to seek another church. If he is preaching the Bible then you should probably tune in. You can read with him or go home and read the scripture reverence but be sure to ask God what He is telling you on a personal basis. The amazing part of God’s Word is that it is alive. It is the Living Word. It speaks to all of us individually. It can even tell us something difference at another time in our life when we reread something we have read before.

The main reasons for church should be to worship God and to draw closer to God. You should worship in whatever way you enjoy and being obedient to what God asks of you including using your talents that He has given you. We can draw closer to Him by discussion in a Sunday School class or small group studies. We also can draw closer through the message the pastor brings to the service. If He has taken time to pray and study so that He can give someone insight and make their life more meaningful, we should praise God even if it was for someone else’s betterment. If you gain a deeper understanding of God’s word from the message, then your life should be blessed and you could pass that on by sharing your thankfulness to the pastor for caring enough to bring the message to his congregation. If you are displeased with the message, you should probably take that up with God. You should probably ask if it was delivered for your growth. We don’t usually get offended when we think a message was meant for someone else. We have a tendency to be offended when we feel we have been corrected or asked to step out and do something.

What kind of message do you want to hear?

A message that tells us how good we are doing will keep us where we are. You will be encouraged to keep on doing what you are doing and you will never be any more than you already are.

A message of truth that comes from God should encourage you to step out in your faith to do whatever God is asking you to do. It may speak differently to each person but it should still help you to grow closer to God and help you to become a better person than you already are. It may be tough and it may hurt a little but those are the things that cause growth. God’s word was created to show us how to live and help us make our lives better. If the message brings us the Word, we should be willing to walk in it. We should also be reading on our own and praying to God to reveal the truth to us. When this all works together, the message will be able to be accepted and applied in the way it was intended and the whole body of Christ can move forward.

Do you want to move forward or remain stagnant?

Your approach and attitude will reflect your desire and commitment.

Why does God want you in church? What is God telling you? Are you talking to Him? Are you asking Him to show you what He wants to do in your life?

Don’t Use God’s Name in Vain

If you ever find yourself using God’s name in a way it was not intended, Stop! You should try using God’s name to ask for help instead of as a swear word. Whatever mess you have made, he can help you straighten it out. If what you have tried hasn’t worked out, then ask Him to work it out. He can do what we cannot. Call on Him. He will listen. He has plans for you. Plans to prosper you, not to harm you. He will always let you choose. His plans will lead you to success. Our plans often can lead to destruction if He is not in them. Be smart. Do it His way, the right way.

Exodus 20

7 “You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God, for the Lord will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name.

Just Cry

When you are hurting and feel like crying, then cry. We have many things come into our lives that can cause us to want to cry. People hurt us, we have broken relationships, we have dreams and goals that fail. It can be any number of things. This goes for boys as well as girls, men as well as women. Boys and men tend to hold in their feelings more because of standards and upbringing that make them think it is not OK to express their feelings. This has been known to be unhealthy so let it out.

Crying will help you heal and God sees your tears and will dry your tears. Ask Him to help you get through whatever you are facing. Many times when you hold the crying in, you get angry and mean. Your feelings have to come out and when you hold them in they come out in inappropriate ways. That anger is taken out on others that have not even caused your pain. You will tend to hurt others because of your pain. You will hurt those that may be trying to help you through your situation.

When you cry, there will be others that understand how you feel. There are others that have experienced the same kind of hurt that you are going through. You will get past these hard times and it may be a while before things look brighter but it will get easier. You may be the one that gets to help the next person through their hard time. So go ahead and cry and you will regain your strength.

Are You Seeing Clearly?

We can’t see clearly without Christ.

Without Christ, we see as the world sees and that is not the whole picture. When we have Christ, we can see what the world cannot see or understand. We may do things differently than what would seem logical from the world’s point of view.

Seeing and living with this clear vision will seem weird to the world but will give us peace and joy that the world will not understand.

“‘Be ever hearing, but never understanding;
be ever seeing, but never perceiving.’
10 Make the heart of this people calloused;
make their ears dull
and close their eyes.[a]
Otherwise they might see with their eyes,
hear with their ears,
understand with their hearts,
and turn and be healed.” Isaiah 6:9&10(NIV)

Do we choose to not want to know the truth and forfeit the chance to be healed?

11 He told them, “The secret of the kingdom of God has been given to you. But to those on the outside everything is said in parables 12 so that,

“‘they may be ever seeing but never perceiving,
and ever hearing but never understanding;
otherwise they might turn and be forgiven!’[a]” Mark 4:11&12(NIV)

The only way to receive the forgiveness is to turn and ask. We don’t get better by ignoring the truth or pretending there is no problem.

4 Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! 5 Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. 6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.                Philippians 4:4-7(NIV)

11 I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.          John 15:11(NIV)

Would peace and joy make life better?

Don’t Let Your Past Dictate Your Future

Don’t let people and what they think hold you back. Keep yourself surrounded by positive people. Hopefully the negative people will see what you are accomplishing and be motivated to do something positive for themselves. No matter how bad your past has been, don’t let it keep you from striving to be better.