May 11, 2022

            In a society that claims taking care of yourself is of utmost importance, we tend to think everything revolves around our wants and likes.  Just a couple of older commercials come to mind: “Have it Your Way”, “You deserve a break today” and “It’s not selfish to take care of yourself”, or maybe your parents told you this: “If you don’t take care of yourself, then nobody else will”.  As well-meaning as these are, they teach us that we must place ourselves above everything or everyone.  When we don’t receive what we want, we become selfish in our requests.  All of these go directly against what the Bible tells us about giving ourselves away, placing God first above all, and promoting justice throughout the world.

            When it comes down to choosing our churches, we quickly gravitate towards those that have the most to offer our families and our own tastes.  But is that how God wants us to do it?  Is there another way to look at how we view our church’s worship, music, children’s and youth programs, young and mature adult programs, or missions?  Does it always have to be about what we receive?  Maybe, just maybe we need to consider God’s view of our church.  If we view the life of Jesus, we see that He frequently was concerned about others and how they viewed the Kingdom of God.  He wanted them to know His heavenly Father.  Should we do the same? When the relationship with Jesus surpasses that of any on earth, then our views begin to turn upward instead of inward.  Suddenly, we allow the Holy Spirit to guide our thoughts, to help us work on the plan God has for His Kingdom and our church.  We begin to care about God’s desires. God’s plan begins to come first, and we plan our lives to align with God. We start to ask what God wants from our church, what His desires, needs, and wants are, and how he wants us to fulfill them? Suddenly, everything becomes God-centered instead of me-centered.

            So, the next time you begin to think about why your church is not fulfilling your needs, perhaps we need to take a step back and ask ourselves:  What would God want from our church?  Is what we are doing pleasing to God?  How, then can I align with His plans for His Kingdom and His church?  Am I being selfish by asking my church to fulfill what I desire?  Are our churches fulfilling God’s plan for His Kingdom?  Is He pleased with our church?  Does he smile when we worship?  Are we more concerned about what we receive than living our lives in worship for a God that gave everything so we might live? Maybe the answer is about connecting to a Holy God and living a life of worship that pleases Him. Remember, It’s not about you.

Song: Jesus, Lover of My Soul (Passion)