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Q: Can you give me even one good reason to go to church? The last church I went to was so full of bickering that I left it in disgust. As it is, I just stay home and watch a church service on TV every week. What's wrong with that? - B.N.
A: I'm sorry you had a bad experience in this church - but can you honestly say that every church is like this? No, of course not. For every church like this, I could point you to dozens where the people are bound together by their love for Christ and for each other.
No church is perfect, of course; someone has wisely said that if we ever found a perfect church, it would stop being perfect the minute we joined! But God didn't intend for us to be isolated from other believers, because we need each other. In the midst of life's struggles, we need the encouragement of other believers, and we need too the spiritual strength we get from public worship. The Bible says, "Let us not give up meeting together... but let us encourage one another - and all the more as you see the Day (of Christ's return) approaching" (Hebrews 10:25).
But we also need to let others know about our faith in Jesus - and one of the ways we can do that is by being active in our church. Every day you meet people who don't know Christ, and yet may be spiritually open to the Gospel. Are you praying for them, and do they see Christ in you?
The real question is this: What does God want to do in your life? The Bible says He wants you to grow closer to Him, and to become more like Christ in your character and your behavior. Ask Him to lead you to a church where this can happen.
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Affectionately known as the "World's Preacher" for more than 60 years, the Rev. Billy Graham is one of the most influential and respected spiritual leaders of the 20th century. He has been a friend and spiritual advisor to ten American presidents and has preached the Gospel to more people in live audiences than anyone else in history - nearly 215 million people in more than 185 countries and territories - through various meetings. Hundreds of millions more have been reached through television, video, film, and webcasts. Send your queries to "My Answer," c/o Billy Graham, Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, 1 Billy Graham Parkway, Charlotte, N.C., 28201; call 1-(877) 2-GRAHAM, or visit the Web site for the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association: www.billygraham.org.
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