Q:
I suppose you've heard this before from other people, but I don't go to church and don't see any reason to start going. I consider myself a Christian, but I've never gotten much out of church, so why should I bother?
A:
Have you ever stopped to ask yourself what God wants to do in your life? God doesn’t want you to be the same person 10 years from now that you are today; He wants to change you into the person He created you to be. The most important step you can take in life is to make that your goal.
But how will God change you? It begins with an all-important first step – a step of faith in Christ as your Lord and Saviour. Yes, perhaps you identify yourself as a Christian, but are you certain of your relationship to God? Make sure by turning to Christ, confessing your sins to Him and asking Him to take over your life. The Bible says, “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23). Make sure of your commitment to Christ today.
Then God wants you to grow spiritually, so that you will become more and more like Christ. God didn’t intend for us to stand still in our faith! But how do we grow stronger spiritually? One way is through prayer; another is through learning the truths of His Word, the Bible.
But God has given us another way to grow spiritually – and that is through our fellowship with other believers. We need their encouragement, and we need their wisdom and instruction. Ask God to lead you to a church where His Word is central, so you can “grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord” (2 Peter 3:18).