You need supportive relationships if you’re going to make it in life. That’s why God designed a family called the church. (The church is a family, not an institution, not a religious club, not a society, not an organization, not a business.) I believe the church is the best family you can be a part of. Here’s why,
Why Do I Need a Church Family?
1. My church family will help me focus on God instead of my problems.
Do you find it easy to forget that God is with you? I do. I need to refocus. Church helps me do that.
Do you ever find yourself focusing on trivial issues that aren’t really important? I do. Do you ever find yourself overlooking the important things in life? I do and my church helps me refocus on God.
Nothing reduces a problem like focusing on the greatness of God. When I’m overwhelmed by a problem; I come in, sit down, worship God with a group of other people and I think “God’s in control. I can handle this because “I trust Him.”
2. My church family will help me face life’s problems with the support of others.
Life is tough. I wasn’t made to face it on my own. You weren’t either. God never meant for us to go through life trying to handle life all ourselves. So He’s given us a family, a fellowship and made us members of his body, the body of Christ.
Do you ever get discouraged? The antidote to discouragement is to get around some encouraging people. That’s called fellowship and God’s people will lift you up.
3. My church family will help me grow in my faith
I need to have my faith reinforced on a regular basis. If I don’t stand for something, I’ll fall for anything. The church helps me clarify my values. I can think through and determine what’s important and what is not.
What happens when I read the Bible and I don’t understand it? That’s one of the reasons God gave us the church. God has given certain gifted individuals to teach us and to help us understand His word. God’s plan is that the church will help us understand the Word of God.
4. My church family gives me significance
One of the favorite metaphors in the Bible for the church is a body. It’s a great metaphor. Everybody’s got a body so we can relate. Jesus is the head of the body. He is the one in charge. All of us are the separate parts. Some people are the knees, some the toes, others the nose. Everybody’s got a part in the body of Christ. Every part is important! This has been such an incredible lesson to me, I used to struggle with self esteem and wonder if I was significant, but now I know what I have to offer the church is something valuable. You too are significant and have more to offer than you will ever know.
If you have ever been to church and think, “They don’t need me here.” Nothing could be further from the truth! You are vital and necessary. What you give would make such a difference in His body. Every task is important. The people who greet at the door are just as important as the people who stand on the stage. The people who serve coffee are just as important as those who teach the kids. You have something to offer back to God and He will use it in a miraculous way.
5. My church family helps me impact eternity.
Everybody needs a cause greater than themselves. Most causes we get involved with are temporary at best; God’s cause or mission is eternal.
The moment I became a follower of Christ I was given a mission in life, you were too. If you’re a follower of Christ you are part of what’s called The Great Commission. That’s the last words from Jesus, “Go into all the world and spread the Good News. Make disciples.”
If you’re a believer, you can SHOW Christ or represent him at home, work, at school or in your neighborhood. One of the purposes of the church is to help you by providing opportunities to be on mission and to serve others. We also provide the large group worship services that you can invite friends to, to help them KNOW Christ and become part of a church family which are eternal.
Your spiritual family is even more important that your physical family because it is eternal. Our families on earth are gifts from God but they are temporary and fragile; often broken by divorce, distance, growing old and death. Our relationship to others believers will continue throughout eternity.
The church offers something you can’t get anywhere else in the world.
Warning: You’re never going to find the perfect church. If you do find the perfect church; please don’t join it because it won’t be perfect any more. You’re not perfect and neither am I. Churches are made up of imperfect people. However they are worth being a part of even if they are imperfect. Don’t just go to church, be the church. Be in a family, the best family in the world.
Darrell
Special thanks to Rick Warren and Purpose Driven Ministries for making these truths reality for me and so many others. For more check out, www.purposedriven.com
Upwards Church 