In the past few weeks, throughout the Bible verses I have been studying, through my small group, and through the sermon I heard on Sunday, the same echoing theme seems to be permeating through peers and mentors: “Are you doing things for God out of habit, or out of affection for Him?” It’s interesting, isn’t it, how when there is something that needs to change in your life, how the Holy Spirit will gently put his finger on the issue, and use people and specific verses to show you what that area is.
If we are honest with ourselves, sometimes Christianity can feel tedious at times, especially if we are feeling disconnected, or distant from God. Our actions can easily be mistook for chores towards our faith. We catch ourselves reading the Bible out of duty, praying because ‘it’s a good thing to do,’ or we go to church only to find ourselves sneaking many glances toward the clock on the wall to see how much longer we have left. And other times, we are on the top of a mountain with God and our faith, and we feel like we can feel even the slightest whisper from God, and we believe we are connected and loved.
So do we do things for the sake of doing them, or for the sake of ‘being’ them? I have a hunch that what God is checking for in our hearts is an attitude of ‘being’ not doing. Anyone can tithe. Anyone can go on a mission’s trip. Anyone can read there Bible every single day. But if we catch ourselves doing this only because we feel we have to and not because we want to, then my friend we have lost our purpose.
God is looking for us to tithe, even when we barely can make ends meet, out of the generosity of our hearts. He is looking at those who serve on missions trips in hopes that we are serving because we want to give our absolute most to the people whom we are reaching out to. When we open up His Word, he is aching to meet us right where we are and whisper to us His truth and lavish His love onto us.
When we are feeling as though we are ‘in the valley,’ maybe this time instead of giving up, and just doing, take a good look at the areas in your life and change them from doing to being. Ask God to help you, because I guarantee there is nothing he delights in more when we ask Him to help us change our actions.
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