I love my church, and yesterday was a good day in worship. I realize, though, that’s not always the case with every church. In fact, I’ve written a lot about how to determine when it’s time to leave a church.
What I want to do in this post, though, is encourage you to reconsider this past weekend’s church events and find some joy and blessing in all that took place—even if church wasn’t great. Here are some questions to consider:
- Did you pray to hear God’s voice prior to the service? If you did, be sure to meditate on what the Lord taught you (even if you have to push yourself to remember). Don’t let the negative drive out God’s answer to your prayer. If you didn’t pray, make a commitment to do so this week.
- Did you have opportunity to worship God without threat on your life? If so, you had a blessing many in the world don’t have. Some may well have been imprisoned or killed yesterday because they worshiped God with others. Don’t forget that reality.
- Might there have been something going on in your life that clouded the way you experienced church this past weekend? It could be sin. It could be worry. It could be anger or impatience. It could be frustration because of unanswered prayer. Whatever it is, things can always distract us from seeing God when we attend worship. Be honest with yourself if that was the case for you this past weekend.
- Did your worship leaders (including the music leader and the pastor) seek to honor God? Even if you think they did not do everything well, you likely still need to trust their heart—and pray you and they alike would continue to grow in the days to come.
- Did you encounter any other believer who just genuinely and humbly loves the Lord? Even in the messiest churches, God has His people. Don’t miss them—and don’t take them for granted. Thank God for them now.
- What one part of the day with believers was most significant to you? I trust that if you went to church with the right spirit—that is, you didn’t go looking for something not to like—you sensed God’s presence at some point. Linger there in your mind.
- Did you get to hear the Word of God this past weekend? Maybe you wish it were presented more clearly or passionately, but you were privileged if you heard any of it at all. Today, Jesus is “largely unknown among 4.6 billion people,” and 3,000+ people groups around the world are unengaged and unreached.[1] Only the grace of God has made it possible for you and I to hear the Word.