by Tonya Woodridge-Jarvis
Are you so stuck in the traditional ventures of the church, that you can’t appreciate a nice dress, as Adam and Eve were naked? Are you so impressed by the things possessed by others that you’re willing to sell your soul to acquire them? Have you become so religious that you’re unable to accept change? There’s a thin line between being “religious” and being judgmental, as spirituality is the key ingredient.
Now I’m not demeaning anyone’s beliefs, just merely stating the facts and how I see it. I often wonder why in a world of hurting folks, people are not running to the church. It’s often because some church folks are the biggest actors, and some of the pastors are award-winning directors facilitating scenes without the presence of the Holy Trinity.
The church is a building used for Christian activities, particularly worship services, but the holy Bible explains to us that the church is really the people that make up the body of Christ. 1 Corinthians 12:27 says, “Now you are the body of Christ, and each of you is a member of it.” And with that being said I’ll ask, “What does your church signify?” I’m not referring to the building that you attend on Sundays, but the person you’ve become, with the understanding that the church is what you possess on the inside of you. If there were no choir, no band or pastor, would you still able to worship in the midst of your personal church, in the midst of the hellish turmoil in your life? Have you mastered the art of worship without the lights, cameras and all the action? Here’s an important announcement: the church building doesn’t equal God’s presence!
We’ve lost our focus! We should be focused on the spiritual hearts and lives of others, but all we can seem to focus on is people’s personal lives in a negative light. That is not what the church was originally designed for. The shining bright light of Jesus should dwell in your church every time the doors open, because you possess the light. God has given us every tool to shine bright like a diamond, but we are too lax to read our Bibles and figure out how to use it to our advantage.
In John 14:6 Jesus says, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” Jesus was in fact declaring Himself as, “the Great I Am, the Holy One.” So ultimately, the path to heaven, the true measure of righteousness, isn’t in the amount of church services you attend – it is in the amount of truthfulness you bring to your spiritual church, your heart, and your actions. Jesus is the source, and the church building, choirs, band and pastors are all just resources.
Jesus provides a true deliverance from a life of bondage to sin and death, and allows you a life of freedom in eternity through your personal church!
