A New Year's Habit

“Let us not forsake meeting together, as some have made a habit, but let us encourage one another, and all the more as you see the Day approaching.” –Hebrews 10:25

The time of changing our calendars is upon us, and it is customary to make goals or resolutions for the New Year. What is your goal? Is your desire to lose weight, to make the habit of going to the gym, make the habit reading more and less screen time, to learn a new skill? Is your habit, from the desire of your heart, to go to church?

The Book of Hebrews deals with the human problem of making it a habit to skip church. Higher priorities can be stressed in our lives, placing Christ’s command to gather and be a living part of the local church community as secondary. We could be busy like Martha with things that seem so important, looking down at Mary who surrendered the busyness for the good portion of learning at Jesus’ feet (Luke 10:38-42).

This verse warns not to forsake the gathering, which means to abandon the church gathered. We can make a habit of it, and before long we see the merciful benefits of gathering at church as simply not as important as other things. We lose out on being encouraged in the faith and encouraging others. And the great warning is, we find ourselves ill-prepared for the approaching Day of the Lord.

First, there is the old habit of pride. To think I can get along just fine in life without the encouragement of Christ in His church gathered. I don’t need His church just as I don’t need Him. Besides, like Martha, we can say, “there is too much to do in the kitchen.” It isn’t that things which make us busy isn’t important, but that gathering for church to hear God’s Word, to be encouraged, and to encourage others is the “one thing” that is necessary (Luke 10:42).

Second, we can fall prey to the temptation that we are not needed in the church anyways. I can easily let my social anxieties or feelings to be an indicator of whether or not something is worth me being there. However, as a pastor, I cannot count on two hands how many saints I have held hands with as they slowly slipped into death, or what our Savior calls, “only sleeping” (Matthew 9:24). I don’t say much, but I know my mere presence with them in a heart of care for them was the type of fellowship in the bond of peace the Spirit makes us willing and eager to be there for.

We are, as Spirit-filled Christians, commanded to be eager to maintain the bond of peace the Spirit blesses the church gatherings in. Our eagerness fails in our rebellion to this command, seeking out worldly busyness in exchange for that blessed bond of peace in the gathering. To disobey our Lord in a grace habit of gathering in church regularly is a desire to divide that bond of peace.

As a dad and pastor, I want to encourage you to make the habit this year to make church gatherings a priority. I know many distractions come, many pressures pull, but like Mary, I pray your heart sees the good portion of being gathered to worship Christ. For you and your family’s sake. Believe it or not, the church needs to hear babies cry and see parents with their children, even in their struggles. And you need them.

Our Lord did not make worship gatherings to be a place of personal preference, but of worship. Yet, He intends to bless us. He made church gatherings to be a place to encourage our faith and to encourage others in our pursuit to love one another. All this to prepare each other for that eternal Day of the church gathered with Christ forever.

When we get to that eternal Day, all the earth’s busyness and accolades will vanish in the preeminent glory of the presence of Christ. On that Day, we will not look back on our life wishing ourselves too busy for church, wishing to spend more time at work than with family, regretting any moment in church over earthly busyness. No, we will see why Mary chose the good portion of being with Jesus rather than busyness. Beloved, make church attendance a primary habit this year for your benefit and the benefit of others.

Heavenly Father, stir in us a desire for a habit to go to church. Give us wisdom to pursue others in need of encouragement; give us humility to seek encouragement from others in church. Prepare us for the Day of the Lord in our church gatherings in our longing for that eternal Day. How we long for that Day. How long, O Lord? Come quickly, Lord Jesus. Amen.