I am SO excited for today’s blog post. I have been itching to welcome guest bloggers to the Faithful Elephant for quite a while, now. My excitement goes beyond welcoming a guest blogger, though… this particular blog is absolutely wonderful.
When I first started my Faithful Elephant blog, I intended to include blogs that discuss faith in some way or another (hense the name FAITHful Elephant). Unintentionally, I wrote less about faith, and more about marriage, music, and other categories. I tried to include faith in those posts, too, but none of my posts focused wholly on God, the church, and/or my faith.
I think it is about time we put the FAITH back in Faithful Elephant. What better way to do that than to share a blog written by one of my greatest friends, biggest supporters, and God-centered Christian…. David Cook.
David Cook and I have been friends since Elementary school. Prior to my surgeries, David and I would attend church together in our hometown. He is one of the people who helped (and continues to) me grow as a Christian. I am forever grateful for his support, love, and convictions. Although he tells it like it is (and rarely holds anything back)… as a Christian, I appreciate his ability to hold me accountable. As a friend, I appreciate his desire to see me, and my husband, become better Christians. As a person, he is a stand-up guy who cares so deeply for his friends, family, students, and, most importantly, his Savior, Jesus Christ.
I am so thrilled he agreed to guest blog for the Faithful Elephant blog. I truly hope we hear more from him soon. Please comment, share, and let us know your feedback from this post. I would love to hear your thoughts, and I am certain David Cook will too!
The church.
It is different for everyone.
Some see it as a sanctuary; a hospital for the soul. Others see it as a museum for saints; another thing that Christians simply do. Some see it as a waste of an hour or so of their time before kickoff.
Churches come in different shapes and sizes, and no church is going to be perfect. Churches can be intimidating. Surrounding yourself with people that you do not know seeing you for the first time, and instead of worship and finding yourself in the word, you feel the judgment of the usual churchgoers giving you a dirty look for sitting in “their seat.” Maybe you’ve made some less than popular decisions in your life, and you feel unworthy of being in church. Or, maybe you don’t know enough about God or the Bible so you feel like a beginner, like you will be unwelcome.
Some of those churches have more of a “hell fire and brimstone” atmosphere where they teach Hell as the reason that you should believe in God. Others may be charismatic with fog machines, fancy lights, and grand gestures. You may find a church that will promise you the riches of this world… (No, God does not want you to be rich and famous, for your reward will be in heaven.)
It’s confusing to know just what church you should go to.
Let’s discuss why to go to church. Church is essential towards your growth towards God. Church is where you, and other Christians, put everything else down and take an hour or so of their time to worship God through songs, scripture, and sermons. Church, from a biblical standpoint, is simply the community of believers.
As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.” (1 Peter 2)
That community of believers will be different no matter where you go. The community will be of all races, genders, and all different walks of life. It is supposed to be the body of Christ, where everyone has a place.
Finding the community of believers can be difficult. The church may lack proper leadership, it may be too big, it may have bad sermons, or any other reasons… and this can be discouraging.
As for me, I chose my church because the community of believers has led me on a path where I have a better relationship with my savior, Jesus Christ. That being said, I was not led by a particular sermon. I was not led by singing a hymn. Any one particular prayer did not lead me. I was led by multiple years of worship, Bible study, prayers, hymns, and missions. A community of believers that want nothing more than to glorify Christ and to honor his teachings is what led me. Now, I don’t want to disillusion anyone to think that church is the thing that makes people Christians. But, I think all Christians should attend church in some capacity.
When you attend church, you should look for a church that has more of a God-centered philosophy than a human-centered one. The distinction is very clear.
But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.” (Matthew 6:33)
The church is to be focused on God’s will and purposes, rather than your own. God’s plan is better than anything you can come up with.
Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? 26 Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27 Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?” (Matthew 6 25-27)
Your confidence should be in God and that means you have to accept that you simply can’t do it everything by yourself. It should show that you have to depend on Christ instead of being independent. The church should emphasize denying yourself versus obsessing.
When searching for a church, do not let a less than impressive sermon leave a bad taste in your mouth. Pastors are not immune to delivering a dud, but you should see if their sermon reflects God or people more. The church should have ways that you can plug in and be involved.
Christians are rarely made from sitting in the pews. It is through experiences, it is through doing missions, it is the Bible studies, it is the fellowship with one another, that usually makes Christians.
To know God more, is to love God more.
Much like anything else in this life, you get out of something what you put into it. A scholar puts in the extra work to be smart. An athlete takes hours in practice before becoming good at a sport.
To the “beginners” looking to find a church, it’s okay to be uncomfortable. You may not know the Lord’s prayer. You may not know the hymns the Church regularly sings. You may not understand the sanctity of Communion. (That’s another talk for another day.)
Everyone was once where you are, and there could easily be other Christians that are exactly where you are sitting in the same church. The journey of a Christian is not supposed to be a short one, but it is never too late to start.
*For more resources, David Cook recommends www.desiringgod.org
Completely unwarranted life lesson from a married woman #20: Pray for your spouse.
