But, I go to church...

Have you ever noticed that there is no commandment that says; "Get thee to church"?

If you try to talk with most people about God, they get a bit annoyed, and say, "But I go to church!" Often they will say they go 3 or 4 times a year. Oh, yeah, and uncle John's wedding last year, that was in church!

Why do people equate going to church with doing what God wants? Do we think we are so important that God needs to fit into our schedule?

I have a granddaughter that I love far beyond my ability to express. Last year, she started taking dance lessons, both ballet and tap dance. Prior to this, she's never had any training at all. After only 9 months of lessons, at her first recital, she was asked to do a solo in tap dance. She was very impressive, and I'm not saying this because I'm her grandpa. She was great! A solo by a first-year dance student is almost unheard of...

So why did God bless her so much?

A couple of years ago, this sweet girl wrote a letter to the president, expressing her belief in Christ, and gave him a few examples of God's love. There is no way to tell if it made any change in him, but that is precisely the problem most of us face when witnessing. We feel depressed that there is no immediate change, so we think we've been wasting our time. But we keep forgetting, It is not OUR time!

"And Jesus, when He came out, saw much people, and was moved with compassion toward them, because they were as sheep not having a shepherd: and He began to teach them many things. And when the day was now far spent, His disciples came unto Him, and said, this is a desert place, and now the time is far passed: send them away, that they may go into the country round about, and into the villages, and buy themselves bread: for they have nothing to eat. He answered and said unto them, Give ye them to eat. And they say unto Him, Shall we go and buy two hundred pennyworth of bread, and give them to eat? He saith unto them, How many loaves have ye? go and see. And when they knew, they say, five, and two fishes." (Mark 6:34-39)kjv

You know the story! Jesus blessed the loaves and fishes, and fed thousands of people, and had a lot of leftovers. We read this story, and think it is a great example of a miracle. But, who was blessed the most that day? Was it the people who ate, and were satisfied?

I think it probably was the apostles. They saw first-hand that God rewards faith and obedience. They did what Jesus told them to do, and He rewarded them, as well as those who ate their fill.

My granddaughter did not just go to church on Sundays, she practiced what the bible tells us all to do; she witnessed her faith! God rewarded her with a skill in an unexpected area, a blessing that amazed a lot of people. I hope she continues to improve at dance, and I'm sure she will, but I will do everything within my limited ability to help her continue with her witnessing.

God abundantly blesses those who do His will!

See you soon, in Paradise!