Last updated on January 24th, 2023 at 10:42 pm
Receiving Christ as your lord and savior is the best decision you will ever make. Right there next to it is choosing which church you will fellowship. Sometimes we join the church with unrealistic expectations which ruins or even destroys our relationship with God and his people. Here are 5 things I wish I had known before I joined the church.
Christians are not superhumans
The world has a very critical and judgemental view of the church. They expect the church to be full of holy and perfect people. Without realizing it, it is easy for us to adopt this view as we join the church. We expect our fellow church members to be perfect and live up to our expectations. The church is a hospital for sinners, so why would we need God if we were perfect? The church should be a safe space where we are safe to be vulnerable as Christ work on us.
Pastors are people too
There is this unrealistic expectation we have towards our pastors. Some of us even see them as objects of worship. All of us are God’s vessels, regardless of what title we are given. Our high expectations build too much pressure on those in leadership positions. The bible highlights some moments of weakness in the lives of men and women who walked with God. The man after God’s own heart, David, committed adultery with Uriah’s wife.
He saved my soul, not my heart
I have heard stories of people who received Christ and were instantly delivered from certain addictions. I wish someone would have told me that’s not how everyone else’s story goes. After receiving Christ, I thought he would miraculously save me from all my evil desires and sins. Salvation is the beginning of a lifelong process, and he will work on us at different paces. Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus Philippians 1:6.
There are wolves among sheep
I wish someone had told me that performing miracles and driving out demons does not mean someone has genuinely surrendered to God. Many people call themselves Man of God, but they have no connection to God. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ Matthew 7:22. Always be vigilant and study the scriptures to see if the pastors/leaders are still leading you on the right path Acts 17:11.
The Church is like a hospital
This realization made things easy for me. One preacher once said the church is a hospital for sinners. We accepted Christ because we needed a savior. Keep in mind that 99.9% of people visit the hospital for help. Not everyone does as the doctor says, and every patient responds at a different pace. Likewise, we all come to church because we need help. So not every Christian is actually chasing after Christ after all. For those who are, we have to be graceful enough to know that we are all on a unique journey and are responding to Christ at a different pace.
Conclusion
If you would like to start your own journey with Christ, all you have to do is accept him into your life today. It does not matter what you have done or where you have been; you are good enough for God. To learn more about salvation, I recommend you read my previous post: What must I do to be saved?
