44 Now all who believed were together, and had all things in common, 45 and sold their possessions and goods, and divided them among all, as anyone had need.
Acts 2:44-45 [NKJV]
Firstly, I am thankful that the Holy Spirit woke me up earlier than my usual hour today. When I read and understood today’s daily bread message, I took it as a sign that God is finally telling me to act.
“Act on what?”, you might ask. I believe that after having spent so many years away from a physical church community, God is finally call me back into one.
Reasons for Leaving Church
It is obvious that all of you won’t know the reason why I left the church many years ago. I never talked about it here (on my website) or on LinkedIn before. But I did leave the church a long time ago because I was starting to see and realize that many of the leaders and members were blindly following the preaching and practices in church without actually trying to better understand why they are doing it. I would not name the church yet, because this is not my place to judge. But I will say this, it was that personal realization that ultimately reinforced my beliefs that we cannot just simply call ourselves “Christians” and not live accordingly. We can preach and put in place different practices and routines. Sure, it might all look very spiritual from the outside, but everything is hollow on the inside.
So I left that church behind and decided to embark on this solo journey of finding God.
To be fair, in my own effort and decision to leave my former church and embark on this solo journey, I also lost my way a few times and I back slided when things got really tough in my life/journey during certain periods. Let’s just say that it hasn’t an easy journey.
Reminded of Moses’ Journey into the Desert for 40 Years
So, there were multiple times in my Daily Bread journal entries where I would feel reminded of Moses’ journey into the desert. This reminder has served both as a reminder and also a lesson for the different times in my life so far. It also provided hope as well.
But ofcourse, in reality I know my life’s experiences can never be compared to what Moses’ has experienced. I mean, not the slavery, or the burning bush experience, none of that. But metaphorically speaking, I could relate with that feeling of wandering into the desert and then finding God in my life’s experiences and then now, I feel like I am ready to make that journey back.
After spending many years away from a church community/environment, I believe that God has given me maturity, discernment and wisdom. Every good thing that a growing Christian needs. But the one thing I don’t have right now is the community. To be surrounded by other loving brothers and sisters-in-Christ.
Having Something to Give/Offer
Here is another lesson that I am learning today. Because of my own unique life experiences/journey, God is showing me that I now have something that I can offer to the church community (wherever I end up planting my roots). Because of everything that I have learned and everything that I have experienced (both spiritually and otherwise), I can also become a blessing to the church community that I will become a part of. This is the part where God has called us to be a blessing unto others.
Daily Reminders to be Discerning & Grounded in the Word of God
Now that I have recognized the signs about finding a local church to be a part of, I am also being reminded that it is important to remain grounded in both my faith and the word of God. Basically, it’s like God is trying to tell me, “Yes, I want you to find a church to be a part of, and to grow and give. But I also don’t want you to forget all of the lessons and wisdom that I have given you.”
So yeah, I really need to find a way to remind myself of those lessons everyday. And I believe that this daily bread entries can serve that purpose as well. We all need daily reminders to make sure that we never grow complacent. It so easy and tempting to lose sight of what really matters when we become so distracted with all the “fun & interesting” daily activities of a church life.
Young Christians/Believers
That leads me to one final point that I want to cover for today’s daily bread entry. I want to talk about the younger Christians, some of whom may have just joined a new church recently, and maybe others that might have been a part of one for a few years. I believe that as younger Christians, we are often more easily influenced by what we perceive as the more mature Christians within the church community. I think it is always important to learn how to be discerning (though that might seem a little hard for some at first). I know I was easily influenced for those early years when I had just joined a church, and even served in some capacity. I was so into all the activities that the church was doing that I had lost sight of what really mattered, our personal relationship with God and the Bible.
As I think about this deeply personal decision to find a local church and to be a part of it’s community, I also believe that there may come a time when God might ask me to help guide other younger believers within the church community. Honestly, I’m not sure how qualified I am in doing something like that, but if and when it does, I know one lesson that I need to remember, my own journey. I think the most important responsibilities that we can have as matured members of the church community is to not misled and guide the newer Christians in the wrong way. We have a responsibility to help them grow in God and the word. Well, at least that is what I think.
Anyway, I’ll end my entry here and leave you guys with my personal prayer for today.
Personal Prayer for Today
Dear Heavenly Father,
I know that I have been away from a local church community for many years. There were times when I thought about the idea of finding a local church and going every weekend, but it never happened. I supposed You weren’t done teaching me the lessons that I needed to learn.
Today, I recognize the sign and the message. I understand now that this is the time for me to act. This is the time for me to begin looking for a church community where I can be a part of and also be surrounded by other like-minded Christians and believers.
At the same time, I appreciate the reminder that I should never be complacent when it comes to my faith and being grounded in the bible. I thank You for reminding me that as we continue to grow as Christians, we need to learn to exercise our discernment and wisdom in our daily Christian living.
If there is only one thing I can ask for today, I ask for a continuing reminder of all the lessons that I have learned as I begin my search for a local church where I can be planted and stay for the long-term.
I vow to give You all of the praises, and all of the glory. In Jesus’ name I pray.
Amen.
shermannatrix 
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