If you’re not a religious person, you might be asking yourself, “Are there benefits to going to religious services?” Read on.
I confess: I am spiritual, but not very religious.
It turns out I’m not alone.
Americans aren’t anywhere near as religious as they used to be. In fact, one recent survey found that almost 25% of people don’t identify with a specific religion these days.
If you don’t consider yourself to be a religious person, you might not see any sense in going to church, synagogue or temple.
You may ask: “Why is it so important to attend services if I’m not religious?”
In fact I started to talk to friends who are more religious than me about this very topic, which is what inspired this article.
Below are 3 benefits of going to religious services (even if you’re not religious)
I’ll be starting out this article by sharing a few reasons – which my religious friends gave me – which show the benefits of going to religious services – regardless of whether or not you’re religious.
And then, at the very bottom, I will summarize my thoughts on this subject!
1. Makes You Feel Like You’re Part of a Community
Stay close to people who feel like sunshine.
“What is the purpose of going to religious services?” is a question that a lot of people ask when they don’t go regularly.
If it’s to read the Bible or Torah or religious scripture of any kind, couldn’t people technically just do that at home?
Yes, to some degree. But then they would miss out on the chance to spend time reading and discussing these religious works with others.
Plus they’d miss the opportunity to pray alongside others – which can feel very inspiring.
Basically, when you go to religious services you’re surrounded by a community of people who will greet you warmly and do what they can to make you feel welcomed.
Apart from this, you have a chance to share your whole journey and experiences with others and this gives you a sense of belonging in some way. Learning about religion alone can sometimes feel strenuous, meanwhile exploring religion in a group is a good way to stay organized and keep track of what you’ve been taught, hereby a Christian group curriculum for adults can be helpful and can motivate you to stay on the learning path.
Even if you just attend a synagogue or church service online, you’ll feel this sense of community. You’ll like how it feels to be surrounded by so much love and support.
2. Gives You Time to Gather Your Thoughts
How much time do you spend sitting in silence throughout the week without your cell phone in your hand or your laptop opened up in front of you?
Chances are, you don’t get to do this very often at all.
But you’ll get the opportunity to do it when you go to a religious service.
Although there is obviously a lot of praying, singing, and talking done at a service, there are also moments of complete silence.
Sitting in silence will allow you to gather your thoughts and to do some deep inner reflection. These things will prove to be very good for you in the long run.
3. Helps You Learn Valuable Life Lessons
Throughout the course of your life, you should never stop trying to learn valuable life lessons. And that’s exactly what you’ll be able to do when you’re in a religious service.
You might truly be inspired by a sermon, which encourages you to think more deeply about things like love, loyalty, dedication, compassion, friendship, and so much more.
After attending a religious service, and absorbing the motivational words and energy around you, chances are you’ll leave feeling like you want to be the best version of you. And that’s a great way to feel.
We All Need to Prioritize These 3 Benefits
After I talked about these 3 benefits with my religious friends, I got to thinking.
Although I’m spiritual and not religious, I can see the beauty in these benefits which my friends mentioned to me. And quite frankly, I am already doing what I can to prioritize enjoying these perks in my life – but in non-religious ways.
In the end, I feel that it doesn’t matter where you go to get these benefits. What matters most is that you bother to prioritize them somehow, someway- whether that means going to religious services, yoga class – or even Zumba.
So starting today, do what you can to…
- make sure you’re part of a loving community
- spend time in silence gathering your thoughts and being in touch with your feelings
- always stay teachable and open to learning and growing
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- Improve sleep & daily calm
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- Feel more hopeful, relaxed & happy
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