Stop Dating the Church

As I've gotten older I've found it's usually the little things that I look forward to. One thing I always seem to get excited about is finding a good book to read. My favorite chair allures me and the aroma of freshly brewed coffee is irresistible. The book I'm about to start has come highly recommended from several others. I've enjoyed other books by Joshua Harris and this one should be no exception titled, "Stop Dating the Church: Fall in Love With the Family of God". Its foreword states, "We are a generation of consumers, independent and critical. We attend church, but we don't want to settle down and truly invest ourselves. We're not into commitment--we only want to date the church". Sadly, could this be any more accurate and true? Too many people view church much like a consumer does a store. They go there, get what they need and then leave. They think it's all about taking instead of giving. It reminds me of John F. Kennedy's famous quote, "Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country." Isn't this how we should view the church? Isn't it time we had a change of heart and attitude about the local church? It's so sad seeing people that do exactly what the title of this book suggests and they only date the church. Being a youth pastor for over 10 I have seen too many painful and hurtful things take place between couples who date. It's not that I'm against relationships, but desire to see things done in a way that pleases the Lord. Unfortunately, usually dating between Christians looks no different dating in the world. Don't be known as someone who only dates the church, but jump in, settle down and become a person who truly invests themselves in the Body of Christ.