We sometimes wonder to ourselves: Why do I keep going to church even when I keep falling short? Isn’t it hypocritical to show up in a place where we’re called to be Christ-like, yet I continue to struggle so much to be like Him?
If I believed that lie — that my sins disqualify me from entering His house — I would have missed out on countless moments of grace and healing.
I would have missed the quiet assurance that church is not for those who believe they are perfect, but for those striving to become better.
Church isn’t a sanctuary for saints, but a hospital for sinners. It’s where the spiritually-wounded, like me, come to be healed.
It’s where we’re reminded of the Savior’s infinite Atonement, His endless capacity to forgive, and His loving invitation to come unto Him — no matter how many times we fall.
Every Sunday as I sit in those pews, I feel the Savior’s gentle reminder: “I didn’t call you to be flawless overnight. I called you to follow Me.”
And so I go, not because I’m perfect or without sin, but because I know I can’t become better without Him.
The sacrament table reminds me that through His Atonement, there’s hope for renewal. The hymns remind me that I’m not alone in my struggles. The testimonies shared remind me that faith is a journey, not a destination; and that each step, no matter how small, brings me closer to Him.
I go to church because it’s a place where I can lay down my burdens, and be reminded of who I’m striving to become.
I go to be taught, to repent, and to renew my covenants to try again. And isn’t that what the Savior asks of us?
Not perfection, but effort.
To anyone who feels unworthy to enter His house, remember this, Christ Himself said, “They that are whole need not a physician, but they that are sick.”
He doesn’t just allow us to come despite our flaws, He invites us to come [because] of them.
So I will keep going, not as a hypocrite, but as a humble sinner who needs the Savior every single day. Because no matter how often I fall short, I know He is always there, ready to lift me back up.
And that is why I keep going to church.
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