Good Habits
“I was glad when they said unto me, Let us go into the house of the LORD.” Psalm 122:1
I love to go to church. I have been going to church since I was a baby, taken to the house of God by my parents. I suppose one could say that going to church is a “habit” of mine, but what’s wrong with that? I consider it a good habit that enriches my life and gives me encouragement to endure whatever I face in the coming week. Some folks get up on Sunday morning and decide whether or not they will go to church that day. Some people get up on Sunday morning and never even think about church. Going to the house of worship is not even on their radar. I get up looking forward to the privilege of going to a church where the truth of God’s word is preached. I consider spending a couple of hours in a worship service a very small act of gratitude to Christ who suffered and died on a cruel cross for me. So, yes, it is a habit, but a good habit, like brushing your teeth. I am not comparing the two, just showing that good habits promote our health, physically and spiritually.
I decided that a little humor is called for in these days of uncertainty and turmoil. So, speaking of brushing teeth, what is it with folks who never seem to brush their teeth? Not only is it unattractive to see gunk and plaque along the tops and bottoms of their teeth when they speak, the breath can also be very unappealing. Social distancing really comes in handy when conversing with someone who fails to follow the good habit of brushing teeth on a regular basis. I remember when I was in the 4th grade, there was a classmate who never brushed her teeth. Her teeth were green. I am not kidding. One day our class was going on a field trip somewhere, I don’t remember where, it was so long ago. Our city school system at that time did not have a fleet of school buses to bring kids to school. You either had to walk or your parents brought you. I walked. The city did have one old blue and white bus which looked like it was brought over on the Mayflower. All the students were boarding the bus, and I was the last to climb up those two steps into that rickety old bus. Making my way down the aisle, I spotted the only seat left–right next to the girl with green teeth. No one else wanted to sit by her. So I sat down next to her. The thing is, she was a pretty nice kid. I even remember her first name. Who knows? She could have become a famous model or maybe a dentist! My mother always emphasized the importance of taking care of my teeth because she had lost some of hers and had to wear a partial. Perhaps the girl’s mom wasn’t as diligent about teeth brushing. If only the girl had been taught the good habit of brushing her teeth, other kids would not have shunned her. I am not excusing them for keeping their distance from her, but kids are kids, and they can always find someone to pick on for any reason.
There are plenty of good habits that we develop over the years. To me, the most important habits are going to church to worship the Lord, studying my Bible, praying, and looking for ways to be a blessing to others. Other habits are regular exercise, eating healthy, getting enough sleep, which seems to be the most difficult habit to maintain, and trying to be positive in this crazy world in which we are living. I have met folks who seem to think that regular church going is something of an oddity. I have had people ask me, “You go to church every Sunday?” as if that was extraordinary. I guess they do not really understand the importance of regular worship and fellowshipping with Christian friends. Many times the best friends you have are those you meet at church. People have all kinds of excuses for not going to church. One of the main ones is, “All they talk about is money.” That is not true at my church, but, of course, like any other organization or family, it takes money to keep the doors open. Another excuse is that the church is too big, or too small, or too far to drive, or it is only filled with hypocrites. I have heard them all. The church is not a hotel for saints; it is a hospital for sinners.
The church is not the building where people go on Sunday morning. The folks who go there are the church. The church is the body of Christ. The Apostle Paul wrote in I Corinthians 12:18, “But now hath God set the members every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased Him.” It is a privilege to be counted among the members of the body of Christ. There is no greater position to have than to be one with Christ and counted among His friends. Folks can find acceptance and significance in Christ and among His followers.
This pandemic has been hard on the church. Some are still not meeting together for fear of spreading the coronavirus. Others are meeting by arranging social distancing, providing hand sanitizers, and requesting the wearing of masks. No one knows how long this will last, but most will be glad when they can “go into the house of the LORD” without all the rules. Some state governments shut down churches, but allowed protests, bars, casinos, etc. to open. Who knows what we will face in the future. For now, though, if the church doors are open, and I am not “providentially hindered” as my former pastor used to say, I plan on being there to hear the man of God proclaim the word of God, to hear the songs of Zion, to be with likeminded folks, and to give to the building up of God’s kingdom.