Crystal Clear

A few years ago, the MSN website reported a story about Nicky Hilton – the heiress to the Hilton fortune.  At five o’clock in the morning, a homeless man had pushed Nicky to the ground during a mild altercation at a West Hollywood International House of Pancakes.  Nicky informed the man that she was making a citizen’s arrest and restrained the man until a local policeman intervened. MSN reported that Nicky was wearing spiked heels and added, “Exactly what the rail-thin billionaire was doing at IHOP remains unclear.”  

What she was doing there was unclear?  It seems pretty clear to me.  Why would the possibility that she was there to eat pancakes not be the automatic assumption?  Maybe MSN assumed a billionaire had no reason to eat at a pancake franchise. Since MSN noted that she was “rail-thin”, maybe they thought that was convincing evidence that she does not eat pancakes.  Or maybe it was the “spiked heels” detail the proved her destination could not have been an IHOP.  Whatever it was, something about her kept them from assuming the obvious – that she was there to eat pancakes.

Imagine that someone you know (outside of church) heard that you were attending church services most Sunday. Would they think the reason you are doing so “remains unclear?” Would they think that your habits, hobbies, dress and demeanor to be incompatible with being a church-goer?  If the idea that you consistently gather with others to worship and listen to Bible teaching sounds inconsistent with they know about you, then you should do some self-examination. When friends and family don’t see us feed on spiritual food during the week, they probably assume that the Word of God and Christian fellowship are not essential to our diet. If that is the case, they would be right to wonder what we are doing at church. Sometimes, even our brothers and sisters are not sure why we are there.

Now, for a moment, set aside what the world or fellow believers think and ask yourself, “What does the Lord know?”  Our mission is to reach the world, but our purpose is to please God.  So, even if we present ourselves to the world in such a way that church attendance fits our image, or if our Christians friends have learned to accept our inconsistencies, what the Lord knows about us is for more relevant.   Of course, He knows everything, but in relation to our lifestyle, would it be fitting for Him to comment – “exactly what this believer was doing at church remains unclear.”  

Reading the Bible, attending church, praying over our meals, giving generously and talking openly about Jesus should be so prominent in our lives that the world expects to see us involved with other believers.  Why do we attend church?  We stand on grace.  We feed on God’s Word.  We are made stronger through fellowship.  We need prayer.  We depend on each other.  The way we think, speak, act and react ought to make the reason we are at church crystal clear.

Matthew 7:17-20: "Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Therefore, by their fruits you will know them".