Do you know what day of the week is my favorite? Sunday. 

Sunday just seems to be a slower, more peaceful day - a day of restoration. 

I often try to do “gospel yoga” on the Peloton app prior to church. After church, we normally have lunch with our family and then have a “lazy” day. We hike, take a nap, catch up on a hobby, or read. 

Sundays are a day to regain focus; to rest and reflect on what is important in our lives. 

While God should be our center and our source daily, I find Sundays help me to recenter myself with God. (Some may attend church and observe the Sabbath on Saturday.) Attending church is an important aspect of this recentering and resting.

So why is church important?

• First and foremost, church is important as it is a place to worship God. It is where we can unabashedly come before the Lord and praise Him, no matter what is going on in our life. Jesus explains in Matthew 18:20, “For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.”

• Church is also a place to form deep friendships. Fellow church goers come from many different walks of life, and they may have different views than you, but you have at least one important thing in common - you love Jesus. Hebrews 10:25 tells us to “not give up meeting together” and to “encourage one another” until the Day approaches. 

  • Making new friends as adults can be hard sometimes. We do not meet new people often, and if we do, it can be difficult to align schedules for time together. Church is a great place to make deep, lasting friendships, and be able to see those friends weekly in a positive environment where you can encourage and pray with one another.

• Most churches have plenty of opportunities to get involved with the church and the surrounding community. Jesus told his disciples in Mark 9:35, “Anyone who wants to be first must be the very last, and the servant of all.” 1 Corinthians 12 also tells us about the different gifts in the body of Christ. The church is a place to hone your gift or gifts and utilize them for Christ.

• Disciplining yourself to attend church, and to get there on time, will likely help you in other areas of your life. It can create more discipline in your relationship with God outside of church, improve your performance at work, and increase willpower in other areas of life.

• Church can improve your overall health. Research shows those who regularly attend church see improvement in their physical health, emotional health, and mental health. 

• If you are married and/or have children, church is beneficial for your marriage and your kids. Church can strengthen your marriage as you build a godly foundation for your relationship. Your kids will also be exposed to biblical and moral lessons alongside other children. They will also develop friendships with kids within the church, just like you do with other adults. 

If you do not have a church to attend, I encourage you to step out and attend one this Sunday. It can be scary to attend a church for the first time, but it is worth it. If you are attending a new church, also make sure their teachings biblically sound.

If you already attend church and are not involved or do not feel you know many people there, I advise you to try to get involved. Get to church early, stay after to talk, and build relationships. 

I hope Sundays become a day of restoration and reflection for you, too! 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Whitney can be described by the opening lyrics of a few Tom Petty songs. She's a good girl who grew up in a small Indiana town who loves her mama, Jesus, and America too. She practices medicine as a physician assistant at an urgent care. Whitney is a music enthusiast and leads worship at her church. She has a heart for people, and wants to help young girls and women find their worth in Christ rather than what the world says of them. Whitney loves a good dad joke, Southern manners, working on her fitness, attempting macrame crafts, and hiking and traveling with her husband, Alex, and their dog, Milly.