One of the hardest things to get past when going to church is the immutable fact of universal human frailty..We all have our faults and blind spots whether we attend church or not..As I have matured and grown in Christ I have come to the realization that I am not always right and all knowing..I have also learned to be more patient with those who share the same propensity to error. Too often we go to church and expect a perfection in others that we are not able to attain ourselves. Having said that, there are genuinely bad experiences and less than honest people in some congregations and positions of authority in Christian churches..
Fortunately we live in a time and place where we are free to choose from many different kinds of churches, or attend a different church with different leadership within the same denomination..With so many options I find it hard to come up with an excuse to ignore the biblical command; ...And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and good works. Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is, but exhorting one another, and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.
One of the most compelling reasons I have not given up on attending church is, I love to be where my God is worshiped openly and where the Holy Bible is read and taught.. I also love to be around people who are making an honest effort to seek and please God, even if like me they are doing so imperfectly..I receive a lot of peace and grace from corporate worship..Our Lord Jesus taught us that in this world there will be persecution and tribulation..We need each other to help heal the wounds this world inflicts on us..
One of the most important things attending church has taught me is a love, and patience with people I might not agree 100% with. We all have different life experiences and degrees of knowledge, so we are not always going to be on the same page all the time..However my love for Jesus Christ produces a love for my fellow Christian as well as the rest of mankind..Church has civilized and softened me..It has also lifted me up when I have been down and out...The friendship I have found in Christian churches has been wonderful and I have learned much from other believers...
Church is not perfect and is often messy...But in this troubled world it is a safe port in a very fierce storm..I have attended hundreds of churches in my life..I know from experience there are many out there full of honest kind people who are trying their imperfect best to please God..I would encourage everyone to make an effort to find a church home where you can be encouraged and encourage others...
Wesley Jones
