David confessed in Psalm 28:6 (ESV): “I love the habitation of your house and the place where your glory dwells.” In the very next psalm he says he would like to dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of his life (Psalm 127:3). Do you also love to go to the house of the Lord, to gather with God’s people, to worship and praise the Lord, and feed on HIs Word? This should be the natural desire of all believers.
If we love God, we’ll love His people and want to be with them (Psalm 16:2, 3). We’ll want to run to the house of the Lord, just as David again exclaimed: “I was glad when they said unto me, Let us go into the house of the Lord” (Psalm 122:1). The word “glad” in the Hebrew is not a half-hearted gladness. It means “to brighten up, to cheer up, to rejoice, and be joyful. This should be our attitude about meeting with God and His people.
There are many families who are not happy with church and therefore no longer attend. This does not adhere to God’s plan. Of course we’ll never find a perfect church. Even if we miraculously could find a perfect church, it sure wouldn’t be perfect the moment we stepped foot in it.
Although saved by God’s wondrous grace, many of God’s people are flawed, hurting, and still learning day by day to walk in God’s ways. We haven’t made it yet, so we blow it, we offend one another, and we often don’t agree. However, we have to put these things aside. We have to forgive. We’ve got to be bigger than all these flaws and failings. We’ve got to commit ourselves because God wants us to do this. It’s not about us personally. It’s all about blessing and encouraging God’s people. To stay home because we can’t find a church fellowship good enough reveals pride and selfishness. Why do we think we are better than everyone else?
If you don’t think you’ll be blessed personally, go to bless others. Go with a smile. Go with the presence of the Lord, richly filled with God’s Word to “brighten up” and “cheer up” some hurting soul who is discouraged.
Hebrews 10:24, 25 (ESV) reminds us again that it is not about us, but about others: “And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, NOT NEGLECTING to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.”
Instead of dragging our feet, let’s get excited about going into the house of God. Let’s discipline and organize ourselves to get their on time. Let’s go with a smile on our face, joy in our hearts, and ready to encourage whoever we get to talk to.
Let’s go for the front seats. Yes, even with children! You’ll be amazed. When you sit at the back with children, they are much more difficult to manage. They get distracted by what everyone is doing in front of them. Take them up to the front seats, right under the eye of the preacher, closer to the anointing, and see what happens.
Blessings from Nancy Campbell