I've attended church off and on since I was a little girl. I got baptized when I was 8 and went to church most Sunday a.m., Sunday p.m. and Wednesday p.m., plus VBS during the summertime, visitation on Tuesdays, etc., etc.
When I entered my teen years I started to fall away from Christ. I'd have to say that most teens do unless they are just smart.
I was out of church for quite some time and yes, I was not going to church and I WAS BEING BAD! I ended up a divorced, single mother who smoke and drank most of the time. I was, to say the least, pretty miserable and selfish back in the day.
God wasn't finished with me yet. I ended up marrying a great guy-yep, Daniel, and started going back to church and started being good again. I got soooo goood that I started really judging those that didn't go to church and judging those that didn't follow the rules that I was following. I know, real good huh?
I was just like most people who go to church. I was doing my part in the Christian walk and I was better than anybody who wasn't doing theirs.
Let me just say that no church is a perfect church. Churches are full of imperfect people. Seriously wacked out people at that! I was one of them.
About 8 years into Daniel and myself attending church we started to get very critical of things. Let's just say that we saw the imperfections of things. (Did I mention I'm very judgmental...I didn't claim to be perfect!) We both started to feel the pull to pull out of church. We, both of us, felt the Holy Spirit leading us out of church.
So, your question is like it was mine..."Why would God want you to stop attending church?"
#1. Hindsight is 20/20
#2. Church is not God
#3. Leaders are not God
#4. Church cannot be my savior
#5. I became part of God's church when I asked Jesus into my heart
#6. Church is not a building
#7. Trust God with your next step
#8. Too much influence is not good influence
#9. Time to focus in on what we need to focus on (be Holy Spirit led)
10. This is the next season for us
#1. Hindsight is 20/20: Wow, what an understatement. I didn't realize the bondage that I was in until I stepped out of church. I've felt more freedom in Christ since I've stepped out. I'm more Holy Spirit driven rather than rule driven. (Being rule driven made me very judgmental)
#2. Church is not God. I was very afraid to stop going to church. All my life I thought that going to church was just what good Christians did. Not if the church has become your God.
#3. Leaders are not God. Some leaders can be viewed as Gods. I was unhealthy as I entered church and I was looking for 2 things-- significance and security-- and I found those things in the leadership and just by attending.
#4. Church cannot be my savior. As long as I was attending church and doing what I was supposed to be doing I felt safe.
#5. I am a church. When Jesus entered my heart I became part of his body. All believers are part of the body of Christ whether or not they attend church on a regular basis or not. I can serve others, love others, etc. without having a church to call home because Jesus is home in my heart!
#6. Church is not a buildling. goes with #5.
#7. Trust God with your next step. This was so HUGE for me. Church brought so much significance and security to my life that I doubted the Holy Spirits calling for me to step out of church. I fought God on this for at least 6 months. The next step for me was to trust that God would be with me if I came out from underneath the umbrella of the church.
#8. Too much influence is not good influence. We had so much influence and advice we didn't know what to do with it. It almost drowned out what the Holy Spirit was trying to tell us as a couple and as individuals.
#9. Time to focus in. As a couple and as individuals we needed to know what direction God wanted us to go in for our marriage and ourselves. We want to know what God has intended for us, not what humans have intended for us. We needed to learn how to trust the voice within, the Holy Spirit.
#10. For a season. We feel like not attending church is for a season for us. If you were to ask either of us if this is forever we'd probably both say, "No, just where we need to be right now." Neither one of us feel spirit led to attend anywhere specific or anywhere at all. We are focusing in on hearing God's voice, the desire to follow his voice and the courage to do what it is he is asking us to do.
Some of the people I used to attend church with have made comments like, "I miss you.", "Hope everything is okay?" , "Did something bad happen?", "Are you going to church anywhere?"
Hope this blog answers those questions.
I must also say that the church we attended for 9 years of our marriage taught us many great things about God and ourselves and we are thankful. We met many brothers and sisters in Christ there and even though we no longer attend there we still view you as our brothers and sisters in Christ. We hope that you view us the same as well. No matter what, if you claim to be a Christ follower and I do too then we are related through Christ!
Living Loved and Freely,
Elizabeth
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