Would You Rather?

 "Better is one day in your courts than a thousand elsewhere; I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of the wicked." Psalm 84:10

    My great-nephew, Mason, and I played a game called, "Would You Rather," via snail mail. Using our wild imaginations, we would pose a question to one another that would require an explanatory response. Here's an example: "Would you rather sit on a tack or eat a pine cone?"  It was entertaining to explore just how silly we could be.

    When reading Psalm 84 one time, I saw a question that was perfect for our game so I wrote to Mason and asked, "Would you rather be in church with your family or hanging out on the streets with a gang?" (or something similar). Then I provided the reference above so he could discover the Biblical answer. 

    Listening to some bleak polling results, it has become habitual for people not to attend church, become a member or be affiliated in any way. When I look back on how regular worship has bolstered and shaped my own life, sadness shrouds me when I realize all that is being missed by some. 

    By contrast, a person who is a sports enthusiast may not blink an eye to spend a hundred dollars to attend a game. Or perhaps a lover of the arts holds season tickets for the theatre. Time is made for these temporal activities, but nary a moment is spent on that which matters for all eternity. Within my neighborhood, there are two churches that I know of that have permanently closed their doors and posted "For Sale" signs.

    How many of us, at the end of our days, when we stand before God who asks us, "Why should I let you into my kingdom?" will pine to be at a football game instead of walking beside Christ on streets of gold, listening to the throng of angels sing praises? Church attendance alone will not save us, but why wouldn't we rather be serving, learning and worshiping the One who redeemed our life from the pit of hell?

"How lovely is your dwelling place, Lord Almighty. My soul yearns, even faints, for the courts of the Lord. My heart and flesh cry out for the living God." Psalm 84: 1, 2