You would think that everyone at a local church gathering comes there for the same reasons that you do. Maybe they do. Maybe they don't. Unfortunately, many of us may not have thought about it at all.
Probably everybody comes into the Lord's house hoping to find something that seems unavailable elsewhere: a pure dose of divine relief and instruction. Strangely, we often struggle among ourselves while seeking our connection with divinity. Seeking the Lord's face, we can often end up stepping all over each other's hearts, unaware of the message in each other's faces.
Every face in the gathering is a face that God has provided to reveal something about Himself to us. Not only do the people whom you like represent what God wants you to see, but also God wants you to pay attention to some folks who tend to make you uncomfortable. God has revelation even in a person that was not kind to you the last time that you came there.
The last thing that many of us may have considered is what our neighbors -- whether desirable or undesirable -- are looking for in the gathering, and what they need when they join with the assembly. We can be so busy thinking about our own need for spiritual direction and comfort that we are unaware that God has placed our neighbors in our midst as a vital part of providing what we need.
A church congregation is a living organism, and not just a container of indifferent body parts. If one part of the body is sick, the whole body needs healing. Moreover, that well dressed and well-respected person who sits next to you or in front of you is no less in need of healing and recovery than you are. Never forget that. Never fall into a trap of thinking that your need for healing and recovery is different from those who you regularly see in the assembly.
Much of the revelation that God has for His people is found in the stories of our neighbors' needs. We need power: God wants you to work to empower your neighbor. We need forgiveness: God wants you not to give up on a neighbor that let you down. We need belonging: God wants you to restore a wayward neighbor into the fellowship.
So what if you have found yourself out of touch with the people in the fellowship? What if you've fallen into a pattern of even loathing certain people who regularly show up at church, only to mess things up every time you need a blessing?
God calls His Church into a fellowship for a reason. Christianity is not a "minister to my needs" faith. Instead, it is a "use me Lord for your purposes" faith. We need to seek God's face so that we can be a blessing in our neighbors' lives.
