Being a Christian Means More Than Just Going to Church

A retired nurse, who went to church last Sunday, told us this story. A man sitting nearby started to go into shock. She recognized the symptoms and immediately helped him. She also called 911. What upset her was the fact that there were other nurses there who did nothing but watch them. Is your notion of Christian behavior similar to these people? Is Christianity limited to just going to church on Sundays? Or does Christian behavior actually require that you practice what you believe, such as emulating the “Good Samaritan”, or “doing unto others what you want them to do unto you?” Will God say to you “Well done,” when it’s your turn to face judgment before Him?”

Why Go to Confession?

I've heard this question before. Here's how I look at this issue. You love your spouse. So, you have a personal relationship with each other. You love God and He loves you. Then, there should be a personal relationship between you and God. Because your are not perfect, you will sometimes "offend" your spouse, either deliberately (e.g. making fun of him/her) or inadvertently (yelling in anger). Sometimes, the offense can be more "serious", such as going to the baseball game with your buddies on your anniversary. What do marriage counselors advise in these situations? Ask your spouse for forgiveness to restore your relationship with your spouse. Likewise, you will occasionally offend God too. It happens. It can be a minor sin, such as fibbing at a job interview. Or, it can be more serious, such as fornication or adultery, or having sexual fantasies about someone other than your spouse. So how do you restore your relationship with God? For Catholics, it's called Confession. This is how you formally apologize to God for any offenses committed against Him. This includes failure to do the right thing. So don't be afraid of confession. It's the way to restore your relationship with God.