Over the years I have se
en a lot of people come and go from churches. They attend as a young person but then stop coming. I’m certain that all of us probably know of people in that situation. Why did they stop? Over the years all sorts of reasons have been given. The teaching wasn’t good enough, the music was boring or church is just not relevant. I think that at the bottom of every reason or excuse is the fact that they just didn’t make their faith, their own.
I mean how many of us started going to church because of our parents. Mum and Dad said there wasn’t an option. For those of us who grew up in the church, or attended church in order to appease someone, it can be really easy to become a fan. You get into the flow of things, you know most of the songs, and you recognise the stories or the teachings. In the end you become sort of a fan of Jesus.
But that can be the most dangerous situation to be in. If your faith isn’t your own, if you aren’t pursuing a relationship with Jesus, and you keep coming week after week and begin to create a “faith” that was someone else’s in the first place, you’re just numbing yourself to the real thing.
We have to make our faith our own. Jesus isn’t looking for a relationship between you, your mum/dad or significant other, and Him. He’s looking for a relationship with you.
That may be one of the reasons Jesus said these words in Luke 14:26, “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters – yes, even his own life – he cannot be my disciple.” This is not about your parents. This is about you and Jesus.
So begin to search your heart these next few weeks and ask, “Are you a follower of Jesus, or are you a just a fan?” Andrew
