I've Got the Blues: Devotions From Time of Grace MinistryEgzanp

I'VE GOT THE BLUES: I'M TIRED

Why do you suppose so many people run away from God and try their best to avoid going to church? My guess is that a lot of people are afraid of getting hustled. They assume that the church just wants to take from them. They assume that Christianity is basically a load of rules that will just add to their life's burdens.

Would it surprise you to know that God's basic message to you is what He wants to give you, that God's first desire for you is to lighten your load rather than increase it? The Lord Jesus says in Matthew 11:28, "Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest."

Some perhaps well-meaning religious people have tried to portray the church as a country club, where membership brings exclusivity and insiders-only benefits. Some portray it as a gym, where you submit to discipline and work out until you look better.

In fact, God wants His church to be a M.A.S.H. unit out in the world where medics can bring in wounded people to be restored in Jesus.