Whether you go to a big church, a small one, or an online one, Jesus, the head of the church, said, ‘Where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them (Matthew 18:20 NIV). When we go to church, we need to recognise His presence, worship Him, and make Him our central focus. We all have the occasional off-day when we don’t really feel like going or we find it difficult to focus, but if that’s becoming a regular thing, it’s a good idea to talk to God about it and ask Him to help us regain our enthusiasm for church. We also need to be aware of the reasons we’re going to church. If we find that things like the style of music, the people, or even the refreshments are a bigger draw than God’s presence, we need to readjust our focus. That doesn’t mean it’s wrong to enjoy these things, but they should help direct our focus on to God rather than being the focus themselves. It can help to imagine seeing Jesus walk into our church. Would our attention be on the worship team, or on Jesus? Would we ignore Him to go and have a catch up with friends, or hang on His every word? Would we walk past Him to get a cup of coffee, or kneel before Him in praise and thanksgiving? The psalmist gives us a good guide for the attitude we should have when attending church: ‘Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. For the Lord is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations’ (Psalm 100:4-5 NIV).

What Now?

Before you go into your church, say the words of Psalm 100:4-5 to yourself as a reminder to focus on Jesus and everything He’s done for you.