How Should We Act In The Household Of God?
Photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash
Church Is Where We Learn To Do Good, Not Be Good.
by Eric Elkin
“I write so that you will know how one should act in the household of God, which is the church of the living God the pillar of support and truth.”
Man, is church boring! At least, that was what I thought when I was a child. I remember my brother and I plotting different places to hide in our house to escape going to church. It was a futile effort on our part. Church was a non-negotiable event, and our interest in it was unimportant. So we put on our Sunday clothes every Sunday morning, got in the car, and drove to church.
Worship was brutal for a hyperactive child. There were two acceptable positions in a worship service — standing still or sitting still — neither of which was easy for me. The sermon was the easiest part of the service to endure. I usually fell asleep, which also had the added bonus of making the entire service seem shorter. The worst was the prayers. We needed to stand as the pastor rambled on and on and on. They never seemed to end.
When I was a child, if someone asked me, “how one should act in the household of God,” my answer would focus on behavior. A Christian should not speak in the household of God. You definitely should not shout “Amen” or “Alleluia!” We were not those kinds of Christians. Absolutely, faithful people should always remain still unless instructed differently.
As an adult, I realize there is a difference between behavior and act. For all the teaching my parents did when I was growing up, the only verbal lesson we received regarding church dealt with behavior. Obviously, a hyperactive child spent more time getting these lectures than my calmer brother and sisters. Maybe their lessons were different than mine.
“Do your little bit of good where you are; it is those little bits of good put together that overwhelm the world.”
Acts of faith were modeled through behavior. We worshipped not because it was a requirement but a spiritual need. Worship was about gratitude, spiritual care, and a way of centering our lives. My parents never told us how much they gave to the church, but giving of our treasures was important. Not to help the church pay bills but to equip the saints for doing ministry around the world.
We were taught to share our talents with the church. My father taught Sunday school, and my mother made banners and sang in the choir. Sharing these talents did not go unrewarded. People always praised them for their work. Yet, the sharing - whether time, talent, or treasure - was not about them. They gave because that is how one should act in the household of God. Ultimately, though, it was about truth.
People do not need a church to be good. One can learn acceptable behavior anywhere. The church is for inviting us to do good. Worship is a two-step process — to receive God’s love and to move out and share God’s love. Actually, God loves us anywhere we go; it’s just that in the household of God we are reminded of the depth of God’s love. But this is not a gift to be hoarded. The love of the living God is to be shared through acts of love. I invite you to consider how you act outside the household of God. Are you loving the world as you should?
Click to read 1 Timothy 3: 14-16
Reflection Questions:
What lessons do you remember most from your childhood?
Who taught you to be good, and who taught you to do good?
How often do you consider these childhood lessons in your daily adult life?
What do acts of love look like to you?
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