If you have given your heart to Jesus and confessed Him as your
Lord and Savior, you belong to the family of God. Therefore, you
are no longer a stranger, but a fellow citizen with the saints of
the household of God (Ephesians 2:19).

You were called to belong, not just believe! Remember, God said
it is not good for man to be alone (Genesis 2:18).

You are a member of Christ's body and you have a vital role to
play in your local church. You are a church attender, aren't you?
I hope so. The church needs you for God has given a ministry for
every believer. 1 Corinthians 12:7 says, "The manifestation of
the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all." 

There are a lot of Christians who do not attend church because of
various excuses. The biggest excuse I hear is, "There are too
many hypocrites in church." Well, that may be true, but they are
in the right place. The local church should be considered a
hospital for sinners, or a classroom for the learning.

I believe most of the excuses I hear come from people who are in
a self-centered state of mind. We have got to understand that we
must be as committed to each other as we are to Jesus. After all,
He expects us to give our lives for each other. 1 John 3:16 says,
"Jesus laid down His life for us and we are to lay down our lives
for our brothers."

There is no such thing as a solitary saint. We form one body and
each of us belongs to the other (Romans 12:5). Therefore, we are
to serve one another.

You may say you cannot do anything. That is a lie from the devil.
You can do something. As a member of the body of Christ, it is
your duty to help the other parts grow, so that the whole body is
healthy (Ephesians 4:16). 

A large part of living an abundant and prosperous Christian life
is simply giving. "Give what?" you may ask. Give time. Give money.

Give food. Give encouragement. Give away your old clothes.
Give away some new ones. Give smiles, hand shakes, and hugs.
These things mean a lot! Especially if people who come into your
local church do not experience this kind of love anywhere else.

You are extremely important in the body of Christ and we need
you! Just like the individual parts of our physical bodies must
be connected to the whole body to fulfill their roles, so you
must be connected to the body of Christ to function as an
effective and prospering Christian. Proverbs 27:17 says, "As iron
sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another." 

If Satan can get you unplugged from fellowship with fellow
believers and isolate you from God's family, you become perfect
breeding ground for all kinds of negative circumstances to arise
in your life.

Let God bless you by making you a blessing. Commit to your local
church and to fellowship. Stay plugged in! The brightest light in
the world will not shine unless it's plugged in.