Why church matters

Two weeks ago, during my Bible class at First Christian Church in Goldsboro, our teacher brought up the idea about how people don't attend church like they probably should, in order to be with other Christians and to work together. Further into the discussion, reasons for why people don't attend church were brought up. The one that stuck in my mind the most was that some people don't go because they want to prepare themselves for church by resolving their problems and working on themselves first, before they enter a church. I believe that thought process is completely out of order. To truly settle our problems, we need God, since He is capable and certainly bigger than any problems we will ever face.

Later that afternoon, on the ride back to Barton College, the Bible study popped into my mind again. This time, it sparked the memory of last semester when an acquaintance and I were discussing God, in which she brought up church. She mentioned that she didn't attend church because she had too many issues that she needed to work through and that she didn't get anything out of attending church anyway.

During our conversation, she asked me why I go to church. Her question puzzled me. I considered making light of it and saying it is church and I just like it, but I saw in her face that she was serious. I thought about it for a minute, considering where to begin and how much to say.

I replied that church is extremely necessary for my spiritual well-being. I explained that at a certain time in my life before moving to Goldsboro, N.C., I didn't really have a personal relationship with God, and I felt incomplete in so many ways. While I explained, she listened intently and nodded occasionally, signaling that she sometimes felt that way too. I finished by saying that church for me back then meant nothing compared to what church means for me now. Then, she asked me what I meant.

I told her that moving to Goldsboro, spending more time with my family, and going to church as a family with other Christians there as my support system helped me create a personal relationship with God. Having that personal relationship with God changed me into the proud, confident, Christian woman I am today. I have been able to find myself through that personal relationship with God, a relationship without which I would still be incomplete. I told her that creating my personal relationship with God was one of the best decisions I have ever made.

Pausing for a moment, thinking about that memory from so long ago, I added that in today's world it is tough, and life is hard. Church was — and still is — my faith-support community where I can gather with other Christians who are trying to live out the Gospel just like me. I love talking to other believers at church, hearing about their experiences, and how they overcame their struggles. Their stories help remind me that I am not alone in struggling, that everyone has difficulties, and that I can overcome anything with the help of God. I then paused, lost in thought as I recalled struggles that I've faced these past few years.

Realizing that I had class in ten minutes, I told her if she remembered just one thing I had said, it should be that, "going to church doesn't make us better people. Instead, it is our personal encounter with God and our interaction with other believers that changes our lives for the better."

She was lost in processing all that we had discussed. I began to wonder if I had said too much and talked too long, when she turned to me and asked if we could talk more about this later. I smiled, replied that I would be happy to, gave her my phone number, and walked off to class.

Two days later, she called me and told me she thought about our conversation and wondered if she could ask me something. I waited for her to speak and heard her ask, "How can I get a personal relationship with God?" That made my whole week. I knew at that very moment that God had called me to reach out to her and that God had guided me all the way through.