.let’s go to church.

I have always been connected to a church in some way or another. I went to church nine months before I was born. I did every children’s program the church offered. I attended every youth event. I went to a college where we had chapel twice a week for credit. My life has always intersected with church. Growing up it was just what I did. It was my identity and helped me to maintain a “good girl” reputation. But as I become older I begin to see things differently.

For me, church was where I went to hang out with my friends and maintain a social life of which my parents approved. Although I may not always have had the best intentions when I went to church, I thank God for using it to begin to lay a foundation in my life and to protect me. He used that time to instill in me a desire to know more about Him and to know what it means to be committed to the church.

God established the church as a force to be reckoned with, as a platform to change the world for His glory. Are we still maintaining that call that we have been given? That appointment by God to be the refuge the world needs and to not shirk from bringing them to Jesus when they enter our doors? Or are we simply using our churches as places for our “country club” mentalities to relax on a Sunday morning? I have been on both sides of this issue and I regret that I wasted so much time simply going through the motions of church.

I have the privilege of seeing lives changed every week I attend church. I have grown to truly have a passion for the church because I now see it as God’s vehicle for life change and I want to be a part of it. The church is the one establishment on this earth that will continue longer than anything else and praise God that He allows us to be a part of it!

Many have had tough experiences with churches. There’s no perfect church and, this side of eternity, it will always be hard to find a church that is perfect. But I am thankful that God uses our mistakes, our weaknesses, our shortfalls, and our imperfections to build His church.

So why my obsession with church? Because church is where I get to be a part of life change week in and week out. Church is the tangible heartbeat of God’s love for a lost world. It’s not just a building; it’s the people behind the building. And God sent His son to die for the people. I want to be a woman who is defined by the passions of God’s heart. I want to be a woman who is crazy about the local church. I want to be a woman who is known for wanting to see freedom from brokenness brought about in her city. I want to be a woman who loves to tell people about my church.

It’s time to stop dating the church. Get committed to a church. Ask God to lead you to a church where His word is preached and the Gospel is presented. It’s time we renew our love for the church. If God loves the church, then I will love the church. I will serve the church. I will be a part of the church. I will give my time, talent, and treasures to the church. I will believe in the church. I will support the church. I will bring others to the church. I will be the church. I will fight for the church. I will love the church.

So, let’s go to church.