Answers

Q:

My parents are upset at me because I told them I didn't want to go to church anymore. Why should I? Church is boring, and as far as I'm concerned it's just a waste of time. But I promised I'd write you first.


A:

Have you asked yourself why your parents are upset at your decision? I suspect it’s deeper than embarrassment, or simply wondering what they’re going to say to their friends, or some similar reason.

Why, then, are they upset? The real reason, I suspect, is because they know that you will soon be entering adulthood — and they don’t want you to go through life without God. In other words, they sense that by turning your back on church, you’re also turning your back on God — and that concerns them very deeply. Perhaps they’ve seen others go down that same road — and they know it eventually leads to moral and spiritual disaster.

Are they right about you? Are you hoping to leave God behind, as well as your church? Only you can say, of course — but I urge you to face this question honestly. Sometimes we can do things without even realizing why we’re really doing them — or at least without understanding where a decision will lead us.

I too found church boring when I was your age; I even might have dropped out if my parents had let me. But then I met Jesus Christ and committed my life to Him, and everything changed. The Bible came alive for me, and I looked forward to the opportunity to have fellowship with other believers. Turn to Christ and open your heart and life to Him, and then ask Him to help you grow closer to Him as you have opportunities to learn from older believers.