It’s that time folks. Church doors are opened wide, but are people rushing back in? People are so used to just sleeping in on Sundays and praying individually or just rolling out the bed to their 60in blessed tv screens to praise God. I mean no concerns for outfits. No concerns for hairstyling or makeup. Sounds like laziness talking, ha! 

Not going to a church building has been interesting. I do believe God used this pause. Not going to a church building weekly has actually revealed a lot about the church as a whole. Oh how we need fellowship, but oh how much we need to keep the fellowship on God.  I am sure to some extent God was like some of these so-called church activities were truly not about me. Never in our time has church activities really been affected as it did in 2020. Personally, I really had a beautiful time reviewing my desires and what’s really meaningful.

Covid hit the church hard, but I believe God used this last year to hit a reset button in all of us. I can’t speak for the church as a whole, so I’ll share a few things from my heart. God called my attention to the following things:

  1. I feel I really spent time with God and family. When He said Be still and know that I am God, He was not playing. He meant it! God slowed me from this routine church going life we sometimes drift into, so I could be more intimate and intentional with Him. I fully appreciated my simple worship and devotional time with Him. The focus on God, Godly relationships and family has been life changing!
  2. It was a great time to reevaluate how I’ve spent my time both in and out of the church. Things I’ve always wanted to do, I started doing for His glory. I think regarding the church I realized I need to be more prayerful about how I serve and what exactly I am doing. Sometimes we are just doing too much. Signing up for everything and being effective in nothing lol. Extending ourselves too thin we do not do what God actually wants us to do. I’ve realized I like letting seasons last longer than they should. I have to be more attentive to God’s voice in all seasons. Let my no be no and my yes be yes. No promises/oaths that I know I can not fulfill.
  3. During this covid time, I really feel people kept the main thing the main thing. People needed the truth. They needed the word of God and not distractions. I don’t know about you, but I have been to some churches and left like what did I learn? I had fun though! I just feel that people focused on the word of God and the appetite of His people was like get to the point. Especially on these screens. 😂

While the interruption had its blessings, I know it was disruptive for some. Some people struggled with depression. Some needed a more intimate accountability and to be loved in person. Others struggled in their faith, losing so much. In all these things, one thing is true! We can not return to the church building expecting to be the same and engage the same. I don’t know about you but I am returning to church on purpose. My actions, time, sacrifices all need to be in line with God’s will for my life. I want to be very intentional!

What about you? How are you returning to the church building? Or if you never stopped going, how have things changed?