If I were a selfish church member, I would view getting up and going to church as an imposition. After all, I work hard all week and this is “me-time.” I might arrive at church in a bad mood, thinking, “Well, let’s just get this over with.”

If I were a selfish church member, I would be upset if I didn’t get a warm welcome, and probably consider not going back.

If I were a selfish church member, I would look at the d�cor or building campaign and consider how I could do it much better.

If I were a selfish church member, I would look for a church that was a real attention getter, the “it” church, forgetting that my focus needs to be on looking for a body of believers that knows the meaning of true worship, and every class, event and activity focuses on glorifying Christ Jesus, not us.

If I were a selfish church member, if I did decide to stay and get involved, I would look for how I could bring attention to me, with my self-glorifying attitude. Since the enemy is deceptive, I might not even realize that I am doing that, but my thoughts always center around me—how “they don’t listen to me,” how “they never give me the attention or respect I deserve.”

If I were a selfish church member, when the pastor starting using words like “repentance” and “sin,” and didn’t make me feel good about myself as I was leaving, I would probably not go back. After all, “I am a self-made person, who needs all this sacrifice stuff?”

If were a selfish church, when there was an emphasis on missions and giving to missions, I would get upset with the fact that they wanted to help church plants in cities in the U.S where there are very few Christians and no churches, or they wanted to send my money to support a team that will partner with a church in Haiti. “After all, there are people right here, all around us, that need Jesus,” while I sat back and did nothing about that.

If I were a selfish church member, I would get upset that the sermon was too long, too boring, the music was too “young” or too “old”, that I was hot or cold and no one spoke to me as I was leaving. I would look around at those with tears, with raised hands during worship, and going to the altar to pray as weak. They need a “higher power; I don’t.” I would miss the fact that those people are breaking free, and that Christ came to set us free, as I walked out of church with my head already starting to spin with burdens of the upcoming week and life. I would be trying to put together my action plan, list the pros and cons, not realizing that I just walked away from the answers, burden release and peace that is free through Christ Jesus.

If I were a selfish church member, I would read this article and think “She told them,” maybe considering who I could share this with—totally missing that God is speaking to you and me.

God gave me this message in the middle of the night, and I knew that first and foremost, He had a word for me, for when I look in the mirror, I see a selfish church member.

“And he said to all, ‘If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me'” (Luke 9:23)