Why I prefer the gym to church - Part 1

Some of you know that one of my main passions is the martial arts, and that I spend a good (my parents would say disproportionate! ) amount of time training at my coach's gym. Lately, I've been teaching a lot of classes as well due to the fact that my coach's mum has been criticially ill. The irony is that far from being a drag on my schedule or a stressful situation, I've actually enjoyed it. Why is that? And why do I not get the same level of satisfaction from serving at church?

Now I know this is inherent blasphemy to some. And believe me, I've thought long and hard before writing this. Gym over church? Heresy! Hear me out first

I believe that one reason why most people don't want to serve at church in the first place, or give up serving is not because they are worldly (although some are) or not sacrificial. It is that their experience bucks one integral rule of continuing service - positive feedback. In other words, the sense that you are doing something useful and beneficial.

If I serve, and I see that I make a difference, and that my work is appreciated - I will endeavour to do more. But if I suffer ridicule, negative backchat and the slings and arrows from those whom I try to help - well, in the parlance of the times, only a doofus would stay.

So, this is the critical issue. If a church provided an environment where service - true service and not blind slavery - was appreciated, there would be a slew of people begging to want to part of this. But most times, the church is a full of mini napoleons, fiefdoms and self-interested groups which at times looks more like the secular world than my gym, which is avowedly secular.

The church was never supposed to look like that. It was intended to be a place where the light shone in the darkness. And those in the darkness would gravitate towards it. But instead, in many cases, it reflects the darkness so well that people get confused.

I now choose not to be a part of that mechanism, which is why I have gradually dropped my level of service in various ministries. Does this mean I love God less? On the contrary, this has given my faith a new and more vibrant dimension and I am more in touch with God than I ever have before. It's like throwing off a backpack full of rocks. A backpack is only useful if you have necessities like water, food etc. Rocks are useless, and thus, it is better discarded.

Discard what is useless. Appreciate the minimalism and sheer simplicity of a life in Christ alone. And then, you'll see the abundance.