We made it back to church for the first time in a couple months – it felt good. My last post really helped my to have the correct prospective in regards to going to church. I have really been thinking about God, church, etc a lot within the last few days.
With going back to church I have found that I have been listening to the Christian radio stations more also. I have to say that my perception of Christianity and church was pretty messed up there for a while, but I feel as though I am coming out.
I have to say that it is a weird feeling to sit there in church and not have to be concerned about how the audio sounds or if the usher is doing his job. I am discovering that I really have not sat in church and been a Christian for a very long time. Ever since I was about 6 months in to Christianity I have been involved in some sort of ministry. That has been 10 years.
Honestly the feeling that I had in regards to ministry and church was that I had been taken advantage of. Now I know and understand that being used by God is an honor but that is not what I am talking about. I felt taken advantage of by ministers, not by God.
It is understandable that in a small ministry that a person who is serious about God is going to be a prime candidate for working with the kids or running the sound board. Unfortunately though, a lot of times ministers are so focused on the goal on the ministry that they do not take into account the people who are doing the work.
When I came to Christ I was 20 years old. I wasn’t just growing up as a Christian, I was growing up as a person. I did not understand about priorities and balancing your life, I learned ministry, ministry, ministry.
Before I go on I just have to sidebar and say that I am speaking of my own experience with the ministries that I have been involved. I know and understand that not all ministries are the same. I now know that as an individual that we are all responsible for how we spend our time. Unfortunately I did not know that then. I figured that when you became a Christian you gave your life to God (literally) and that you just worked for Him now – He was the most important thing (ministry was attached to that).
There is a time and place for that but I think that Ministerial staff is in a very delicate position. I think that they need to be sensitive to people’s lives – outside of church and ministry – and make sure that they are balanced. Most people when they come to God are not in the best place in their life. They come to God and feel good with the way that they feel now that He lives in them. Unfortunately though a lot of times people are high on this feeling and throw their common sense out the window.
This is what I did. I was young and I did not have a good sense of common sense developed yet so I did not have that stopgap to help me stay balanced. 10 years later I am developing that but I often find myself swinging from one side to the other. On one hand I am mad because I feel like I have been used by the church. On the other hand I feel guilty for not doing my part in the church. Today, I am trying to find the happy medium between the two.
So anyway, I feel that I am in a different phase of my Christianity where I am learning what a balanced life is and how to have one. Going to church is a definite. I need and want God in my life, I need and want him in my family’s life. Church helps us to be mindful of God, who he is and who we are in Him.
I thank God that He is so loving and forgiving. He is never overbearing or bossy, he is a loving dad. I look at my oldest son and know that their is nothing that I wouldn’t do for him. I know that God feels the same for me. I know that God loves me whether I go to church or I don’t, whether I talk to Him or I don’t. But I do want to go to church and talk to Him, not because I have to, but because I want to, and that is what He wants.
Anyway, God is good, church is good, and I am learning how to be a normal Christian and my family and I are attending church.
It Felt Good to Go Back To Church
We made it back to church for the first time in a couple months – it felt good. My last post really helped my to have the correct prospective in regards to going to church. I have really been thinking about God, church, etc a lot within the last few days.
With going back to church I have found that I have been listening to the Christian radio stations more also. I have to say that my perception of Christianity and church was pretty messed up there for a while, but I feel as though I am coming out.
I have to say that it is a weird feeling to sit there in church and not have to be concerned about how the audio sounds or if the usher is doing his job. I am discovering that I really have not sat in church and been a Christian for a very long time. Ever since I was about 6 months in to Christianity I have been involved in some sort of ministry. That has been 10 years.
Honestly the feeling that I had in regards to ministry and church was that I had been taken advantage of. Now I know and understand that being used by God is an honor but that is not what I am talking about. I felt taken advantage of by ministers, not by God.
It is understandable that in a small ministry that a person who is serious about God is going to be a prime candidate for working with the kids or running the sound board. Unfortunately though, a lot of times ministers are so focused on the goal on the ministry that they do not take into account the people who are doing the work.
When I came to Christ I was 20 years old. I wasn’t just growing up as a Christian, I was growing up as a person. I did not understand about priorities and balancing your life, I learned ministry, ministry, ministry.
Before I go on I just have to sidebar and say that I am speaking of my own experience with the ministries that I have been involved. I know and understand that not all ministries are the same. I now know that as an individual that we are all responsible for how we spend our time. Unfortunately I did not know that then. I figured that when you became a Christian you gave your life to God (literally) and that you just worked for Him now – He was the most important thing (ministry was attached to that).
There is a time and place for that but I think that Ministerial staff is in a very delicate position. I think that they need to be sensitive to people’s lives – outside of church and ministry – and make sure that they are balanced. Most people when they come to God are not in the best place in their life. They come to God and feel good with the way that they feel now that He lives in them. Unfortunately though a lot of times people are high on this feeling and throw their common sense out the window.
This is what I did. I was young and I did not have a good sense of common sense developed yet so I did not have that stopgap to help me stay balanced. 10 years later I am developing that but I often find myself swinging from one side to the other. On one hand I am mad because I feel like I have been used by the church. On the other hand I feel guilty for not doing my part in the church. Today, I am trying to find the happy medium between the two.
So anyway, I feel that I am in a different phase of my Christianity where I am learning what a balanced life is and how to have one. Going to church is a definite. I need and want God in my life, I need and want him in my family’s life. Church helps us to be mindful of God, who he is and who we are in Him.
I thank God that He is so loving and forgiving. He is never overbearing or bossy, he is a loving dad. I look at my oldest son and know that their is nothing that I wouldn’t do for him. I know that God feels the same for me. I know that God loves me whether I go to church or I don’t, whether I talk to Him or I don’t. But I do want to go to church and talk to Him, not because I have to, but because I want to, and that is what He wants.
Anyway, God is good, church is good, and I am learning how to be a normal Christian and my family and I are attending church.
Technorati : Backside, Backsliden, Christian, Christianity, Coming Back to God, Going to Church, Walking with God