Do you need church to have a relationship with God? Well, it depends on how close of a relationship you want!
Theologian Dwight L. Moody once said this:
“Church attendance is as vital to a disciple as a transfusion of rich, healthy blood to a sick man.”
When we are lacking in spiritual health, we are sick. Consider someone who takes their vitamins daily, drinks plenty of water, exercises and gets enough sleep. Missing a few days here or there won’t hurt, but overall, they are less prone to sickness, able to fight off a virus and stay energized through tough seasons.
The same can be said of our spiritual lives. Spiritual vitamins of prayer, scripture, meditation and yes, church attendance, keep us healthy and clear-minded, connected and well.
I spoke about it in my latest YouTube video:
If you were feeling spiritually healthy, you probably wouldn’t feel the pull to get back to church or do something to amp up your faith. And even if you are feeling “fine,” is fine good enough for this essential component of your life? Is “fine” good enough when it could be “fantastic”?
Sometimes we don’t even realize what we were missing until we make a change. I have a friend who was forced to eat almost an entirely vegan diet for health reasons. Though she wasn’t excited about it at first, her energy and gut health were so much better after the change that she never even considered going back to her old ways.
In reality, we are all “sick” and in need of Jesus’ saving grace. Jesus’ certainly did, and still does, make house calls (so to speak), but He continually emphasizes the building of His Church and the importance it has in our lives today and in the span of eternity.
In the Old Testament, His Spirit dwelled in the Temple. Today, His Spirit isn’t confined to a structure, but within a people group. He’s not in a building, He’s within a community of Believers.
You might not need church, but you are gonna be lost without it.