It’s a strange
phenomenon that I have seen since my first days in ministry. It goes something like this: A person will slowly and habitually miss
church services, until the point they lose any connection to the body. Then some trial will come along, an illness,
a death, a family or spiritual struggle that will make them long for the
support that comes from that body. Since
they have been absent for so long, the chain of communication is weak and the
support they desire does not come or at least come quickly enough. They then lash out at the body for being
uncaring about them and abandoning them.
But the body didn’t leave them, they left the body.
I think people
often get the order of need confused when it comes to the body. While a body doesn’t function to its fullness
without a given part, it still can survive. But take any body part and remove it from the
rest of the body it will die. The body
suffers if it is missing an eye but the eye outside the body will die. Missing the assembling doesn’t harm the body
as much as it will harm you!
In Hebrews 10:23-25
we read:
“Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He
who promised is faithful; and let us consider how to stimulate one another to
love and good deeds, not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit
of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day
drawing near.”
If we continually miss the gatherings of the
church, how can we be holding fast to our faith? Who will encourage us? Who will push us to continue doing what is
right? Being outside the body mean we
are not getting the things we need to survive.
Yes the church needs
you but let me remind you, you need it more.
It is not possible for any of us to remain faithful without the support
of the rest of the body. When we are
faithful in attendance, it allows the body to support us. When we remove ourselves from it, don't be
surprised if you lack from what it provides.
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