Don't Go To Church Out Of Guilt

We live in a time of significant change in the complexion of faith in our country. Generations of people have been drifting away from the church, and are now producing a completely unchurched generation that follow them. There are some who have walked away from their religious heritage and feel guilty because their children don't have the same experience, knowledge, and background that they, themselves, grew up with. So what are these parents to do? What for their children?

Could I give some advice? Don't go to church out of guilt. The church is not supposed to be a place of fear, and that is what guilt is based on. 1 John teaches that perfect love casts out all fear. The church should be a place that is perfecting love.

When you go to church it should be for a number of reasons that have nothing to do with guilt here are some to think about:

1. Go to church because people encounter God there. Now I know many people that encounter God many places other than church. In fact, I do daily in time I spend praying and reading the Bible. But what I find is that for many people that are far from God for whatever reason attending church gives them a meeting place with God. God wants to meet you there.
2. Go to church because none of us walks the spiritual path alone. Churches should be filled with people that understand they're not in this alone. We are not perfect people, in fact most of the churches I know of are filled with people who try to live the right way, but struggle. A great value in the church is that when you're walking with others that are going in the same direction they help you go farther.
3. Go to church because you want to hear the truth. A church that is being perfected in love will be telling deeper and deeper truth. It may not feel good, sound good, or excite you, but we live in a society that blows smoke everywhere it can to get your time, money, and votes. It is cathartic to go someplace that will tell you the simple truth. Churches should be places that teach you from God's word. A church that teaches you things that don't line up with the Bible are out there. I'm not saying you shouldn't be careful, just find a church that tells you the truth according to God. By the way, it may not agree with your own value system. Because if you're honest with yourself, your value system will probably differ from God's. If it didn't we wouldn't be far from Him to begin with, right?

--Ben