There would be instances that we’ll look back in hindsight and think, “I wish I knew that sooner.” Both in life and in faith. It is a part of life. In fact, I think sometimes I learn the same lesson multiple times. Or perhaps, I should say I am reminded of the lesson. I like that. I learn the lesson once, then I get a reminder or a refresher. It sounds more positive and gentler.  

Here are five lessons that I wish I knew sooner in terms of my faith.

 

Missing church does not make you a bad Christian. 

I enjoy going to church and being in fellowship with the body. I enjoy worshipping with others. I enjoy listening to the message. But I used to put pressure on myself to get to church, especially the church that I had regular membership and attendance. 

The first time I consciously did not attend church, I had gone to another church service that morning with friends and the service got out in time for me to go to my church. My plan was to go to my church. But I was tired. I had just got out of another church service. At the last second, I decided I should stay home and rest.  

You know what happened? 

 I rested.  

I lived.                      

Church is still an important part of my weekly routine. Occasionally I miss church, but I have limits. I try not to miss a church service at two weeks in a row, so as not to make it into a habit. I recognized that church was important to both God and to me, but so was my own mental and spiritual health. There have been many instances in the Bible where Jesus walked away from his disciples to go be with his Father and pray. Usually after Jesus preached to a large crowd or performed a miracle. If Jesus, the Son of God, needed to be in private, surely, I, a sinful human being, need that too.  

So, I have limits.  

I mention that I won’t miss church at least two times in a row. But also, that if I do miss, I have something to replace it with. This replacement must be something that would lead me towards God and not away. It means that I cannot skip because I need to clean, grocery shop, or do an errand that could have been done at another time. The replacement needed to be something that edifies. If possible, I will turn on my church’s livestream too. 

 

Your salvation story is not less than the next person over. 

This past summer, I got home from work one evening where I ran into two older men passing out gospel tracts. We talked, they asked if I was a believer and what I knew about the gospel. I mentioned I was and told them my story — I grew up in the church. For the most part, I was a good kid. I did as I was told, I “prayed the prayer” when I was eight, got baptized at eleven, and stayed with Christ. It is a simple story.  

I shared how I struggled with the simplicity of that story. In college, all the salvation testimonies I would hear was either: a person lived a life of sin then was radically changed when they met Jesus or someone who grew up in the church then in college realized they were never a Christian. I shared how as a college freshman, I wondered if I needed to give my life to Jesus again. I questioned my faith. I questioned if my testimony was even true. At one point, during the story, I had said, “Do I need to sin more?” The two older men just laughed and said, “I’ve never heard that one before.” Then advised me, “You don’t need to sin more.” Don’t worry, I knew that. But those doubts and comparisons did run through my mind as a college student. 

The conversation with the two older men and I turned into one of encouragement. One man’s story was like mine; he grew up in the church and did as he was told. The other had the radical lifestyle change. But all were equal, all were important. Because in the end, it does not matter how or when you came to know Christ. It just matters that it happened and that you believed that Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life as John 14:6 stated.  

  

There’s no one way to share the Gospel. 

There are various ways to share the Gospel. I would even venture to say that evangelism can look differently. Evangelism can be the traditional sense of going up to a stranger with the intent of explicitly sharing the Gospel. Then departing ways. That is one way. 

Another way is through teaching. Teaching about the Gospel to others, so that others may go and make disciples. That is one way. 

Another way is through services. Taking time out of your schedule and serving others as Christ did to others. That is one way. 

Another way is more intrinsic. It is your principles and values. It is how you live in your daily life. There is a woman at my church, who is older and is wise to the point where it meets humility. No really, if you were to tell her that she’s wise, she’ll shake her head. One day she asked if I could share the gospel at work and when I told her I couldn’t, she told me, “That’s okay. Because your principles and values will show Jesus.” Since then, she would remind me that on a regular basis. In fact, she reminded me that this past Sunday.

A reminder that is much, much needed.  

 

Christians are humans. 

I know, I know, you are probably thinking. “Well, yes, they are humans. Did you really need to learn that?” 

I knew that Christians are humans. However, over the years, I learned that sometimes I might disagree with them. Even with the most well-intentioned Christians. Christians, such as myself, can still mess up and get things wrong. Christians, such as myself, can still say the wrong things. 

Christians are humans. There are going to be disappointments and disagreements. That’s why accountability, fellowship, and listening to God’s Word is important. 

 

Just because you’re stuck, it doesn’t mean God has forgotten you. 

Who, here, have felt like you’ve been stuck. I can raise both hands. It goes in line with what I just said previously. Disappointments happen. As do hardships.  

I was thinking of alternatively titling this section as: Sometimes you may never know why you went through something.  

I am still learning what to do in those situations. The easy answer is “trust in God.” But that is hard to do when you feel stuck and hopeless. So instead, I will say this, keep doing what you are doing. If it becomes too much, modify it. But don’t quit it completely. 

For instance, if you cannot read your Bible without feeling overwhelmed, exhausted, or simply have no strength. Focus on reading one verse in a psalm for a week. Keep going to church. Say a one-sentence prayer (God, help me).   

It reminds me of a book. I should reread it. It has been a few years. It is Mark Buchanan’s Your God Is Too Safe. In the book, Buchanan described the feeling when we are waiting for God to move, but don’t do anything. He called it The Borderland. In the Borderland, nothing happens. We sit, twiddle our thumbs, and tell people, “I’m waiting for God.” Buchanan described holy habits to have to get us out of the Borderland. He encouraged us to keep our holy habits, because God is orchestrating something for us and we don’t want to miss it because we’re just sitting.  

It is like that illustration I’ve heard a few times. There was this man on a small boat in the middle of the ocean. He prayed to God to help him. A bigger boat passed by and offered to help, the man said, “No, thank you. God is going to help me.” The bigger boat passed, and the man prayed to God to help him. A second boat passed by and offered to help, the man said, “No, thank you. God is going to help me.” The second boat passed, and the man prayed to God to help. A third boat passed by and offered to help, the man said, “No, thank you. God is going to help me.” The third boat passed, and the man eventually died. In Heaven, the man asked God, “Why didn’t you help me?” God looked at the man and responded, “I sent you three boats.”  

Sometimes when we are stuck and feeling lost, it is easy to miss the boat that God sent to us. That’s why I urge you, as well as urging myself, to continue those habits that you have and trust and know that God sees you. Even if the habits are modified and all you can do is read a verse or listen to a worship in the morning, it is still something to help you see that first boat.  

 

What is something that you wish you had known sooner in your walk with God? 

Elizabeth