Poetry: The Greatest Love I Ever Know

There have been many times that I come across individuals like me, who grew up in the local ‘Christian’ church, but eventually drifted apart because of various reasons. It may be because of work, family situations, but most of the time, they say because they feel left out.

I often wonder why. A church is supposed to be a place of encouragement and motivation. It should be a place where people learn Biblical Standards and be blessed by each others’ testimonies.

Instead, I feel like it has become a place of high-minded individuals who act holier-than-thou all the time. Or maybe it has become filled with people who are negative and judgmental to others who are not in the know of the principles and standards that they practice.

If you’re someone who thinks like this happens in your church, well, you’re not alone. I often felt that negative attack of the devil in my head too. So I ask myself that maybe it’s just me. Maybe I’m just imagining that they are like that and perhaps they really want the best for me.

And with this kind of thinking, I often end up feeling confused, alone and frustrated in life.

Then reality hit me. What is it that I’m looking for in a church? To whom am I really looking, the people that gathers or the One who leads them all? Where’s my attention going, to some senseless emotional blabbing or to the Word of God being preached? What’s more important to me, securing my own emotions so I won’t get hurt or accepting the truth from the Bible and be matured?

This poem was written during a time like this. To remind myself that it is not in this world where my real joy lies, but to the One who sacrificed it all for me.