What if we applied the same reasons that we leave church to other parts of our lives? What if you decided we would no longer use deodorant because it was good in the past, but not so much for today? What if you would no longer use public restrooms because someone was mean once or stole the stall you had your eye on? What if you decided to no longer go to the doctor because they are always in your business and telling you what to do? Those are some of the questions posed by our latest video.
As silly as those statements seem, they are some of the excuses we use when we decide that we aren’t going to church anymore. This is not to say that some of those statements aren’t true. In church there may be people who are mean, who will get in your business, and who may tell you what to do. Those people have issues the same way you do. Those people are dealing with hurt and trying to do their best. We all are.
We don’t just go to church because it is what we are supposed to do (although it is what we are supposed to do). It is good for us. Hebrews 10:24-25 says, “and let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near.” Church is where we hear from God. It’s where we see those we love and where they see us. It’s where we help each other and where we grow together. Galatians 6:2 tells us to “Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.” and Proverbs 27:17 says, “As iron sharpens iron, So a man sharpens the countenance of his friend.” Church is where we learn together. It’s also where we thank and praise the Lord together. In Colossians 3:16 you’ll find, “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.”
But if the words of the Bible are not enough, scientists have also studied those who go to church. The Washington Post outlined a research article published in a journal by the American Medical Association. The study surveyed a group of more than 76,000 female nurses over a 20-year span. Here are a few highlights from that article:
The women who went to religious services more than once a week had a 33 percent chance of living longer.
The women who started going to services became more likely to quit smoking and less likely to show signs of depression.
The women who attended services were no more or less likely to contract breast cancer. But those who attended services were substantially less likely to die of it.
The effect of religious attendance, they found, was stronger than that of any other form of participation in a social group like a book club or a volunteer organization.
So, the next time you’re considering leaving church, examine the reason you’re telling yourself. Would you apply that reason to no longer going to the bathroom or doctor or grocery store? If you’re going to continue using deodorant, you should continue to go to Church.
