Yay for the weekend! It’s been a busy week, so I am definitely glad for a little break in the action today. It’s also cloudy and just starting to rain, which makes for a perfect relaxing sort of day. We still need a lot of rain where I live, so anytime it rains I get a little extra excitedJ Also have been enjoying a LOT of Olympic action over the past few days, which I LOVE. I’m sort of obsessed with the Olympics, so I get really excited every couple of years when they are on. Going to watch some equestrian events in rerun this afternoon, which should be great!
Anyways I’ve been reading in Isaiah over the past week in my daily Bible reading, and one verse in particular really stuck out to me…
“The Lord says: “These people come near me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship of me is made up only of rules taught by men.”
Isaiah 29:13
This is definitely one of those verses that causes you to stop and think about how you are living your life. How often do you feel like you are only going through the motions of being a Christian? Anyone from the outside looking in would assume you are doing all the right things, but deep down you know you are living a lie. You know that your actions don’t always match what you say you stand for, and there is little real meaning behind the things you do.
You’re going through the motions without any emotion. You’re not really excited about going to church, worshiping God, reading your bible, being a kind person, etc. But you do it anyways because it feels like the right thing to do. You go along with it because it makes you look good on the outside to those around you…when what really matters is what’s on the inside. God can see passed the motions of our actions, and looks at the motives of our hearts. He knows what we are really thinking and feeling on the inside, and can tell when we are not being sincere.
It’s easy to get caught up in just going through the motions of Christianity. At first you may have good intentions, and may be genuinely sincere in your actions. However, after a time a sort of routine develops, and it’s easy to kind of space out and not become emotionally involved in your faith. Trust me, I know. I’ve been there. It’s funny how fast going through the motions creeps up on you without warning. You may not even realize it at first.
If you feel like you are going through the motions of Christianity, I challenge you to take a step back and refocus. Refocus on who God is and why you worship and serve him. Remember why you are giving him all the praise and honor, and then do so with enthusiasm. Change your time with God from routine motions to an expression of praise.
One thing that has helped me in the past when I feel like I am in a rut in my personal time with God is to start a prayer journal. Write down verses you read in the Bible that catch your attention, and journal your thoughts about them. Write down your prayers to God. It’s a great way to stay accountable, and really get more out of your daily devotional time with God.
Hope you all are having a great weekend so far!