If you had to purchase a $20 ticket to get into a church service, how often would you attend?
A while back we took our grandkids to an amusement park. The park was packed with adults and children. It was easy to see why people would pay the rather high entrance fee. Rides, swimming, games and food were available for all ages.
Although church attendance may not be as entertaining as an afternoon at an amusement park, what it offers is much more valuable and longer lasting. By the grace of God, the benefits of being a Christian are given to us without charge. Eternal life is a gift from our Heavenly Father through the suffering and death of His Son for our sins.
We rarely think about the effort and cost expended behind the scenes to provide the fun and thrills of an amusement park. Similarly, we don’t often consider the time and money necessary to maintain the facilities, pay the staff, offer educational and other programs, and generally operate the church we attend.
Because there is no entrance fee or monthly dues, we often neglect supporting our church either through our time or finances. Some of us feel that having a healthy relationship with God only requires showing up at the Sunday morning service and tossing a dollar bill into the offering plate.
We need to remember that we are more than observers in our church – we are meant to be participants. Out of thankfulness for all the blessings God has given us, we all need to join together in supporting His work among us.