In a recent survey by LifeWay Research, 78% of Protestant churchgoers say they have developed significant relationships with others at their church. Those who attend church more frequently are more likely to strongly state they had developed such relationships. However, only 48% use these relationships to help them grow in their faith. [1] It appears that many Christians use their faith primarily to benefit themselves personally and not so much to bring them closer to God. Why?
The obvious answer is that it is simply a matter of priorities. We value our earthly personal relationships more than our relationship with God. We would rather build relationships with others than with God. Why?
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[1] Aaron Earls. “Churchgoers build relationships, but often without discipleship”. Tulsa Beacon, May 23, 2019, p. 3B.
