Great Reasons for Going to Church

By Victor M Parachin

You change for the better

Church is one of the few places people leave better than when they entered. The sermon, Scripture readings, hymns, and prayers gently nudge yo to assess yourself honestly and then encourage you to make appropriate changes in your attitude and behavior.

The music is inspiring

Through the lyrics of the hymns, choir presentations, and other vocal offerings, you can't help being informed, inspired, and touched by the beauty of the music as well as the words.

Here's a good example. A young woman continued attending church even though her life and career had become battlefields. Deeply discouraged and thinking about suicide, she began to sing with the congregation Joseph Scriven's great hymn "What a Friend We Have in Jesus." The familiar words took on new meaning for her as she sang, "What a friend we have in Jesus / All our sins and griefs to bear / What a privilege to carry / Everything to God in prayer!"

She says, "In an instant I felt incredibly hopeful again, something I had not felt for months. As I sang and listened to that hymn, I realized that I had tried to fight all my terrible battles alone. I had not taken everything to God in prayer."

It's a chance to take a break

Likely you've got a hectic life driven by a schedule filled activities. Well, worship provides a welcome reprieve from that too fast pace. By attending church, you can, for at least one hour, be quiet and reflect on what's truly and eternally important. The psalmist found this spiritual pause refreshing: "I have stilled and quieted my soul," the writer declares (Psalm 13:2 )

It cuts down on drug abuse

A national survey of 14,000 teens found that young people involved in church were less likely to use drugs than their peers who did not attend worship. The lowest rates of adolescent drug abuse were among theologically conscious teens. Although drug use among teens in "liberal" churches was slightly higher, their rates of drug use sank far below rates among nonreligious teens.

In a society where drug abuse continues to spiral, attending church helps you make positive choices outside the sanctuary.

There's less chance you'll become an alcoholic

Psychiatrist David B Larson studied the relationship between religious commitment and alcohol abuse. "I found that those who abuse alcohol rarely have a strong religious commitment. Indeed, when my colleagues and I surveyed a group of alcoholics , we found that almost 90 percent had lost interest in religion during their teen years."

What that means is that if you don't lose your grip on God, you've got a way better chance of not losing a bunch of brain cells.

You're following Jesus' example

The Gospels report that Jesus regularly attended synagogue services. After healing a man with deformed hand, Scripture notes that Jesus then "went into their synagogue" on the sabbath day (Matthew 12:9). Even as 12-year-old, Jesus spent time in worship there (Luke 2:43).

When you faithfully worship, you follow directly in the steps of Jesus.

You learn the best way to live

Scripture advices, "Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things" (Colossians 3:2).

As you worship you'll gain insights into living. You'll contemplate your way of life not only in terms of today and tomorrow, but in terms of today of how God will ultimately judge your life.