"Not giving 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." — Hebrews 10:25
There was a time in my life, perhaps the hardest season I have ever walked through when I lost the desire to go to church.
At first, I had what seemed like valid excuses. I had just had a baby, and with a toddler also in the picture, I told myself I needed rest. I needed time to figure out this new phase of life. But deep down, I knew the truth. I was weary. Completely drained. And somehow, I thought staying home would fix it.
I tried to follow services online, but it was not the same. I listened to sermons, hoping they would fill the void, but instead, I felt like I was just collecting words, saturated with knowledge but unchanged. Even my prayers felt ineffective, like they were bouncing off the ceiling.
Then one day, it was as if I woke up from a deep sleep. I told myself, ‘Enough is enough!’ I decided: I am going back to church. No matter what, I will not miss the gathering of believers again.’
But just when I made that decision, the enemy tried a different tactic, shame. Thoughts flooded my mind. What will people say? Will they not wonder where I have been? Will they not judge me for what kept me away from the church? Will they not judge me for staying away this long?
Thankfully, that was one area where shame had no hold on me. If anything, I saw God’s hand carrying me through that season. Looking back, I realized just how much good had come out of that storm, so much that I could not even thank Him enough for allowing it.
One thing I am absolutely certain of is this. God raised people to stand in the gap for me in prayer. Many of them never called, never physically showed up, but I felt the weight of intercession over my family.
And here is the thing. If I had not been rooted in a church community before that storm hit, I honestly do not know how I would have made it through. There was simply no strength left in me to steer ‘the boat’ in the right direction.
I had moved to a new location, and the church I previously attended had not opened a branch there yet. So, I asked God to lead me, and He did. I found a church where I could grow, and slowly, things started falling into place. In no time, I was back on my feet, vibrant, hopeful, and full of life again.
It did not happen all at once, but with each Sunday spent in fellowship, something inside me was being restored.
Then came that Sunday, the one I will never forget. I know it like I know my name. That was the day everything changed.
Nothing, absolutely nothing, should drive you away from the body of Christ. If God is leading you to a different assembly, trust Him to guide you. But whatever you do, do not stay away from fellowship. Do not forsake the gathering of believers. You need the church, and the church needs you.
Do Not Let the Enemy Isolate You
One of the enemy’s oldest and most effective strategies against believers is isolation. When he wants to take someone down, he does not always strike immediately, he starts by cutting them off. He isolates them, magnifies their problems, weakens their defenses, and then moves in for the attack.
Think about a pack of wolves. Individually, a wolf may not be as strong, but together, their strength multiplies. They instinctively know that their power lies in unity. A lone wolf is far more vulnerable to attack than one surrounded by its pack.
Even lions, often seen as strong and independent, hunt in groups when they need to take down larger or tougher prey. Despite their strength, they rely on teamwork to bring down zebras, buffaloes, or wildebeests. That is why they are called social cats, they understand that some battles require the strength of the pride, not just the skill of one.
Alone, you may be able to resist the enemy for a while. You might hold your ground for a season. But isolation makes you an easier target. You are more likely to grow weary, more likely to feel overwhelmed, and more likely to be overpowered.
This is why fellowship with other believers is vital. When brethren gather, strength is imparted, and power is generated, power that would be much harder to generate alone.
Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 says: “Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor. If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up.”
Unity: The Language of Believers and The Tower of Babel
Scripture tells us, “One can chase a thousand, and two put ten thousand to flight” (Deuteronomy 32:30). Together, we are a formidable force, one that the enemy does not stand a chance against. In fact, Jesus assured us that no matter how fierce the battle gets, “the gates of Hades will not overcome [the church]” (Matthew 16:18).
The enemy may prevail against an isolated believer, but he can never prevail against the united body of Christ. You cannot truly walk in unity alone, it requires a connection to others. As believers, we grow in unity, not apart from it.
Ephesians 4:16 says: “From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.”
This is precisely why the enemy fights unity. He understands its power.
Think of the Tower of Babel. When I first read that passage, I was struck by how God Himself acknowledged the power of unity. Despite their primitive building materials, the people had one language and one purpose, and God said of them: ‘If as one people speaking the same language they have begun to do this, then nothing they plan to do will be impossible for them.’ (Genesis 11:6)
That statement means that unity has the ability to make even the seemingly impossible possible. If a people united against God’s will had such power, how much more those united under His authority?
This is why no nation sends a single man to war. Serious minded nations understand the strength of numbers, except in cases where God specifically commands to go with a few like in the case of Gideon or where a single combat decides victory for an entire people as in the case of David.
Likewise, in the kingdom of God, we are not lone warriors. We thrive in unity. We stand stronger together. And when we move as one, nothing the enemy throws our way can overcome us.
Go to Church, Even When You Do Not Feel Like It
Even when it feels like nothing is happening, do not stop going. Something is most definitely happening, whether you see it or not. Even when you do not feel like going, go. Even when the praise team is not as vibrant as you would love or you struggle to sing along because you do not know the lyrics, go.
Why? Because whether you feel it or not, God is there.
Jesus said in Matthew 18:20: “For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.”
The presence of God is not dependent on our emotions. He is present when His people gather. Look at the early church. It was in the place of unity, prayer, and fellowship that the Holy Spirit was poured out. Acts 4:31 says: “After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly.”
They did not know when or how the promise of the Holy Spirit would come, but they continued in fellowship anyway. They showed up, whether they felt like it or not.
I can personally testify to the power of the church. It has challenged me, motivated me, pushed me forward, set me on my feet, taught me, trained me, and groomed me.
I am a product of the church of our Lord Jesus Christ and I have seen firsthand how God moves through His people. So no matter what, I will stay planted in His house. And I encourage you to stay rooted too. The church is not just a gathering; it is your lifeline
