People who avoid commitment to a local body often do because they seem to always find imperfections in some aspect of it. It may be the preacher who seems irrelevant to your culture. It may be the style of music played in worship that may be too slow and traditional. It may be the inadequate facilities for childcare. It could even be a bad experience in your past. These reasons may be very real to you but what we fail to realize is that there is no perfect community out there, just as there is no perfect person out there.

When we choose to only “date” the body of Christ and never commit to it we are benefiting from what we can and disposing of what remains. It is like a man who simply reduces a woman to body parts, we use the church for our gain like a parasite that never adds value or worth to its host. This type of Christian living only leads to emptiness and isolation and is not God’s will for us. God has given the body, made up of a diversity of people with varying gifts, for our growth in maturity, mutual edification, and for our sanctification in order to become more like Jesus. Dating the church without committing to the community is a form of self-righteousness. We seek to justify ourselves (our right to non-commitment) by rejecting what is unfavorable in the church and accepting what fits our bill. I have been guilty of this in my past. I have fled the traditional church before seeking something that will meet “my needs” and missing out on my call to edify, encourage, and build up the body.

We forget sometimes that God called out a people for his own possession in the church (1 Pet 2:9). Just like God called the people of Israel (not just Moses and Aaron) an entire nation from slavery to display God’s glory and power to the surrounding nations, God calls every one of us in Jesus Christ to come together as the Church for His glory today! As we read the development of the church in the book of Acts it was never about one individual but about the gathering of Jesus followers growing together, meeting needs, worshiping God together, and spreading the good news of Jesus.

So if you are looking for a perfect church I hope to save you the investment of time and energy and urge you to stop now! Find a local church that preaches the gospel of Jesus, teaches the Word of God, and seeks to edify and equip one another to make disciples of Jesus and dive in! God has given you gifts and talents to be benefit others and God has given others gifts and talents to influence and benefit your life for God’s glory.

For Your Reflection:

1. Do I believe a perfect church exists out there?
2. What is keeping me from committing to a local church? Is my reason legitimate?
3. What gifts has God given me to encourage and bless the church? Am I using them?
4. Am I open to let others speak truth and use their gifts to grow me?