Going to church became a routine for me when I started work. Although I attended church services on time, my mind thought about what I would do after services. The whole service turned into the time to plan my schedule.
Eventually, I realized that I became a "Sunday Christian", having no devotional life like Bible reading and praying. I felt isolated in the church and unable to join the big family. It was time to find out the reason.
Why does our faith turn into routine activities most of the time, without bringing internal life changes? In today's church, many people never engage in church ministries or have fellowship with believers. They only appear in Sunday services. I was also like them, losing myself and not feeling the warmth of the church. I was lonely. Actually, it was not true that the church had no love and the congregation didn't care about me. My heart was not in the church ---faith was just a part of my life and work was the center. We are busy with all sorts of things but don't read the Bible, pray, or have a devotional life as Christians. We squeeze time out of our busy life to attend services, but the time we spend in the church is just a break in our busy schedules.
"I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing."(John 15:5) The spiritual life of a Christian is dead if he or she fails to connect with the Lord. If the church is regarded as a public premise, we can't feel the love we need from it. Only when people commit everything to the Lord and serve him wholeheartedly can springs of living water flow into their lives.
Then Jesus declared, "I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.(John 6:35) One's spiritual life can mature only if he or she builds a relationship with the Lord Jesus. Prayer and devotionals can maintain one's intimate relationship with the Lord Jesus. As our bodies need three meals a day to grow up, our spiritual lives develop gradually. So we need to gather spiritual food at the proper time.
So in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.(Romans 12:5) The relationship between Christians is like members of a body. Christians can't exist on their own. We must take part in church ministries, serving and communicating with one another. In this way can we feel intimacy and love between members in teamwork.
Today too many Christians are so engaged in their work and life that they are not 100 percent committed to their faith. We should examine ourselves to look at whether faith or work and life matter more. When we see faith as the center of our lives and let our spiritual lives grow up, we can serve better the house of God.
- Translated by Karen Luo
