"I Just Got Out of the Habit" 
 

by Jim R. Everett

A habit is ``a thing done often and hence, usually done easily...a tendency to perform a certain action or behave in a certain way; usual way of doing; as, he does it out of habit'' (Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, p. 815). Folks sometimes speak of ``going to church'' as a good habit. And, when asked by others about their negligence, they respond: ``I guess I just got out of the habit.'' Assembling together as God directs is surely good and it should be done easily.  I can understand how habitual assembling with the saints becomes a regular course of one's life and, for those who do so regularly, it becomes a matter of ease and routine. However, it should not be done ``out of habit.''

When assembly time approaches, there should never be a question in the minds of the members about whether or not they should be there.  It should be a foregone conclusion and commitment in every one's mind that every Christian should be at every assembly in order to worship God. It never enters their mind to do otherwise. That can be classified as ``habit,'' in the accepted definition but it is not done ``out of habit.''

Nothing should be more important to us than worshiping God (Matthew 4:10; Hebrews 10:25). The desire to worship makes it easy to prepare for assembling, because that is what we plan to do. I do not understand why some folks have a hard time arranging their affairs in order to assemble with fellow Christians. Neither do I understand why some never get to Bible classes or assembly worship on time. After all, they are always present and on time for the movies or recreational activities they plan. It may be that they conceive of worship as a good habit, but like eating liver and spinach, is not very enjoyable.

True worship springs from faith and love -- not ease.

 

 

Other Articles

Hunger
Hard Times
Psallo
Morality, the Government and Christians
Speech Made at the Funeral of Irven Lee