Got Change?نموونە

CONNECT

Till I accepted Jesus Christ and came to an understanding that the Church is the family of God among whom He dwells, I resigned myself to being a very private person, attending only those Christian meetings that I was interested in, walking out when they bored me and taking no interest in small talk that is so essential to building relationships with people. I lived in my world, I did what I liked and I spoke only to those people I really needed to. I loved the Lord, but made no effort to associate with people. One day, the truth finally hit me: God cares for people and so must I! God chooses to dwell among His people, (those who have accepted Him as Lord and Savior and now, through baptism, are part of His body, His family, the Church), and so must I.

Many of us struggle to break out of our cocoons and associate with people closely, eat food together, indulge in friendly chats or participate in activities that don’t interest us. The amazing thing about Church is that it is a conglomeration of people from different walks of life and cultures, different upbringing, sometimes bizarre likes and dislikes, yet all united by one common person - Jesus. This community is the context for me to practice Christ-likeness, to truly become His disciple, to give up what I want to do, for the sake of the greater good, to attend church meetings and events I don’t want to go to, for the sake of getting to know other believers and allowing them to know me.

The Church described in scriptures is not a building, but a family of families united by Christ, living in the Way of Christ, bound by love and genuine concern for one another, shaped by each other, the Word and the Holy Spirit reflecting Christ more clearly and getting us ready for the second coming of Christ- for He is returning for the Church.

The CHALLENGE to Change:

Make an effort to attend that mid-week church meeting you have been avoiding. Try to introduce yourself to some of the leaders in the church. Slow down your quick exit after the Sunday service. Volunteer to serve.