The Need For Church

By, Ashley Webster

"Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee,

because thou hast left thy first love."

Revelation 2:4

“We need a revival of appreciation for the local church”

I heard this phrase this week and I can’t get it out of my mind. Seemingly, gone are the days where people prioritized church attendance and service the way they once did.

Being able to stream a service on our tv has removed the great need we all have for fellowship and commitment. Many of us sit at home and wonder why we suffer with depression, anxiety, and loneliness.

I challenge those feelings with a question: what have you done at your church lately? What have you done for someone else? In what way have you been serving Jesus and telling others about Him?

If these questions are tough to answer then maybe you need a revival of appreciation for Christ and His church. It’s not your pastors church or your church or your community’s church- it’s HIS church. We are stewards.

Depression is a result of unmet expectations or great loss- those are the facts. There can be hormonal imbalances as a result of these instances happening but they are still true. One of the beautiful anecdotes for depression is the fruit of the Spirit- kindness. Helping others (at a cost to you!) is a strong way for the Holy Spirit to do a work in you while you are supporting others.

We need each other. We need corporate prayer and worship. We need smiles and hugs. We need to serve together and serve one another. As Christians, we absolutely NEED these things. They are essential to growth. As a child of God you NEED to be telling others about Him. You need it. It grows you, challenges you, and prompts you to love souls like Christ does. We are so consumed with ourselves and our homes and our families- it’s disturbing. “Lovers of themselves” in the last days. It’s not coming anymore- it’s HERE and Christians are found wanting. We are guilty. It’s time to get back to building Christ’s Kingdom and HIS church and stop making our homes our

churches and building our own kingdoms that will burn anyway.

Go back to church. Hug someone. Try to be a blessing instead of receive a blessing. Appreciate the fact that your church and your pastor love you. There are Christians that miss you. They miss your face and your hugs and your voice. There’s probably someone you were supposed to teach this year and you missed it. Someone you were supposed to cook for, but you weren’t there to know.

Revive your heart to your first love. Don’t we love people who love our kids? We love people who love what we love!!! Christ loves the church and gave Himself for it. It’s time we do the same. It’s time we LOVE what our Savior loves. I am praying for my own heart today!