Read
And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.
Acts 2:42
Reflect
In the 1600s, a French bishop named François Fénelon served as court preacher to King Louis XIV. One Sunday, the king and his attendants arrived for worship and found the chapel empty—no congregation, no court officials, no audience. Enraged, Louis demanded an explanation.
Fénelon calmly replied, “I published in the royal register that Your Majesty would not be attending church today, so that you might see for yourself who serves God in truth, and who comes merely to impress the king.”
That question still matters. Why do we gather to worship—or why don’t we?
People avoid church for many reasons. One large church once surveyed its surrounding community and asked a simple question: If you don’t go to church, why not? The answers were blunt:
- Church is boring.
- It doesn’t make a difference in my life.
- They ask for money all the time.
- I’m too busy and don’t have time.
- I feel awkward and out of place.
It’s a sobering list. But the most troubling response isn’t boredom or discomfort—it’s “I’m too busy.” When someone who doesn’t know Christ says they don’t have time for church, that’s understandable. But when Christians say the same thing, it reveals something deeper. Being “too busy” is rarely about a lack of hours; it’s about priorities.
The believers in Acts didn’t treat worship as an optional activity to squeeze in when schedules allowed. Scripture says they devoted themselves. That word implies intentionality, sacrifice, and consistency. They arranged their lives around teaching, fellowship, shared meals, and prayer—not because it was convenient, but because it was essential.
Church was never meant to be another obligation competing for our attention. It is where weary faith is renewed, where truth is taught and lived out, and where God’s people remind one another that following Christ was never intended to be a solo endeavor. Just as important, it is meant to be a place of welcome—where those who are rooted notice those who are searching, and where belonging begins before belief is fully formed.
If you’ve found yourself “too busy” for church, consider what that busyness is quietly saying about your priorities. Make a plan this week to reorder your schedule and gather with other believers for worship. And if you already belong to a church, look for someone unfamiliar next Sunday. A simple greeting or invitation may be the difference between someone slipping out unnoticed and someone beginning to feel at home.
The question isn’t whether we have time to worship—but whether we’re willing to devote ourselves to what God says truly matters.
Reflection copyright © 2026 Doug DeBolt.
Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
