Got Your Excuse Ready?

Have you got your excuse ready for why you won’t be going to church in the morning? Maybe you’re too tired. Maybe the weather isn’t ideal. Maybe you don’t like the preacher, the music, or the people. Or maybe—and let’s be honest here—you just don’t feel like it. I’ve used plenty of excuses myself over the years. When I was driving a truck, I’d go when I had time and could find a church with enough space to park my bobtail, but, to be honest, I usually didn’t search very hard. After I got married, I’d go sometimes, but Clay didn’t want to, and that made it harder to motivate myself. It’s easy to stay home, and when you do it enough, it becomes a habit.

I could have justified it by saying I didn’t need a church to worship God. And in a way, that’s true. God is with us no matter where we are. I prayed plenty on the road, especially in bad weather or traffic, and I read my Bible when I had time. But looking back, I see that something was missing. I wasn’t part of a community of believers who could strengthen my faith, challenge me when I needed it, and remind me that I wasn’t meant to walk this road alone. When I did go to church, I always left feeling encouraged, even if getting there had been a struggle.

Hebrews 10:25 tells us, “Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.” Church isn’t about checking a box to keep God happy. It’s about coming together as the body of Christ, worshiping, learning, and supporting one another. The early church understood that believers needed each other. They met in homes, shared meals, and carried one another’s burdens. Today, we still need that same connection. Faith was never meant to be a solo journey.

Excuses can keep us comfortable, but they also keep us stagnant. If I had stayed where I was spiritually—only going to church when it was convenient—I never would have grown in my faith the way I have. God didn’t call us to be comfortable. He called us to be committed. Yes, there will always be reasons to stay home, and yes, some churches make it harder to feel welcome. But if we seek God, He will provide a place where we belong.

Clay eventually began taking his faith seriously, but I often wonder how different things might have been if I had been more intentional about going to church earlier in our marriage. Maybe it would have encouraged him to seek Jesus sooner. Maybe I would have grown stronger in my faith earlier in life. I can’t change the past, but I can encourage others not to make the same mistake. If you’re waiting for the perfect Sunday to go back to church, you’ll never find it. There will always be a reason not to go. But when you do go, when you make it a habit, you’ll see the difference it makes—not just in your own life but in the lives of those around you.

So, do you have your excuse ready? Or will you set it aside, get up, and go? You may be surprised at how much you needed to be there.