Do you know if you are drifting?

Dave Harvey in his book Rescuing Ambition says "Drifters don't always know they're drifting."  Have you ever floated on the waves at the beach unaware that the tide is taking you out to sea. You don't see what is happening because you have been lulled into the rocking motion of the waves, just relaxing and letting go. Suddenly someone on shore calls out "Hey, you are drifting out too far." Sometimes people say to me that you don't have to go to church to be a Christian.  The problem with that statement is this: when you come to Christ, being with the church is a desire placed by the Spirit of God into your spiritual DNA. You just want to be with the people of God. That is one of the great "life-signs" of true converstion. No,  going to church does not save you, but it is one indication that you have the real thing.
When truly converted it is then that we learn that God has designed the church family in part to keep us from drifting. Hebrews 10:24-25 speaks of the necessity of gathering together so we can be encouraged, exhorted, and warned. Apathetic attitudes, cooled off passions, and casual approaches to the body of Christ all set us drifting toward the fringe and that can become a dangerous habit in our lives.
Now I am the first to admit that the church is not perfect and it will fail at times. But here's the thing. It belongs to Christ and is the only game in town for keeping us from the drift. It is there you learn the word of God. It is there you rub elbows with others on the same journey.
 Take a look at the shore. Are you drifting?  No drifting ends well. Stay connected and involved in the body of Christ.  Kill the drift.  Think it through!