“If I had never joined a church till I had found one that was perfect, I should never have joined one at all, and the moment I did join it, if I had found one, I should have spoiled it, for it would not have been a perfect church after I had become a member of it. Still, imperfect as it is, it is the dearest place on earth to us. All who have first given themselves to the Lord, should, as speedily as possible, give themselves to the Lord’s people. … As I have already said, the church is faulty, but that is no excuse for your not joining it, if you are the Lord’s” (Charles Spurgeon, “The Best Donation” [sermon, Metropolitan Tabernacle, London, April 5, 1891]).
It’s easy to have a consumerist approach when it comes to committing to a church. Do I like the worship style? Is the preaching entertaining enough? Is that church down the street a better fit? But when we allow a market mindset to influence our spiritual lives, our faith can become less about knowing and serving God, and more about finding a community that serves us and our desires. Rather than trying to form communities around our own preferences, we must allow ourselves to be formed by God and his people.
