read my bible more.
pray more.
sing more worship songs.
go to church more.
While none of these things are bad things, I do not think they are soul-saving things. Jesus saves your soul and Jesus sustains your soul. I think sometimes we look at Jesus as though he is examining our report cards...
Church Attendance: B, Praying: C, Reading your bible: B, Worshiping: F.
"Oh well, you aren't doing these things and that's why you are struggling. That's why you aren't experiencing me and that's why you aren't on some spiritual high right now."
But what if we are doing those things with selfish, religious motives?
"Why have we fasted, but You have not seen?
We have denied ourselves, but You haven't noticed!"
Isaiah 58:3
It is very dangerous to read your bible, pray, and go to church out of guilt, or in order to "get yourself back to God". Our moralistic hearts are exposed when we do these things and then become angry with God for not honoring our pious obedience.
Yes, He wants us be close to Him and YES all of these things are vital in bringing us near to His heart. I just think God goes beyond that. I think God has more in mind for us than we realize.
I do not think my sole purpose on earth is to be close to God. (Please don't stop reading.)
I think that is only Part A.
"Look, you do as you please on the day of your fast, and oppress all your workers.
You fast with contention and strife, to strike viciously with your first.
You cannot fast as you do today,
hoping to make your voice heard on high.
Will the fast I choose be like this:
A day for a person to deny himself,
to bow his head like a reed,
and to spread out sackcloth and ashes?
Will you call this a fast
and a day acceptable to the Lord?"
Isaiah 58:3-5
Isaiah 58:3-5
I am not a theologian and I do not pretend to be. But as I read those scriptures, I was convicted. When I am seeking God for my own selfish gain it means nothing. When I get so caught up in bringing myself back to where I need to be spiritually by doing these things, I often forget about other people. The Israelites were offended that their religion did not work. (ESV Commentary) How often is this true in our lives? How often does our discipline turn to frustration when we feel as though God is not responding?
"Isn't the fast I choose:
To break the chains of the wickedness,
to untie the ropes of the yoke,
to set the oppressed free;
and to tear off every oppresion?
Is it not to share your bread with the hungry,
to bring the poor and homeless into your house,
to clothe the naked when you see him,
and to not ignore your own flesh and blood?
Then your light will appear like the dawn,
and your recovery will come quickly.
Your righteousness will go before you,
and the Lord's glory will be your rear guard.
At that time, when you call, The Lord will answer;
when you cry out, He will say: Here I am.
If you get rid of the yoke from those around you,
the finger-pointing and malicious speaking,
and if you pour yourself out to the hungry,
and satisfy the afflicted one,
then your light will shine in the darkness.,
and your night will be like noonday."
Isaiah 58:6-10
This is where Part B lies. My sole purpose on earth is to be close to God and thus pour my life out for the sake of other people.
Nowhere do I find God calling me to go to church, read my bible, and pray simply for the sake of being super spiritual or super close to Him. I find God calling me to do these things, and be near to His heart, in order to make disciples and pour into His people.
(Disclaimer: God delights in us and God delights in our delight in Him. He does want us to be near Him and seeking to be near Him is never wrong. However, sometimes our motives in seeking Him can be wrong. Neither am I saying that God only cares about others and not you. I am saying that God's plan is so big and extravagant in that His care for you leads to your care for others. Simply stopping at ourselves was never God's plan.)
God calls us to serve His people. A specific call is to serve the poor and marginalized. He makes this clear in Isaiah 58.
What if when I found myself straying from Christ, I asked myself: "Am I pouring my efforts into my own sanctification or into the lives of others?" God delights in us and His delight in us is meant to propel us to serve His people.
What if instead of praying more, reading my bible more, and going to church more, I allowed those good things to lead me to serve others more?
The Gospel is central to Christ, not me. It is not about me and it will never be about me. I am thankful God lets me play a small role in furthering His kingdom. God is so genius. He loves us and pursues us. We love him back. We long to serve Him out of his mercy and grace in our lives. Thus He gets the glory when we serve other people out of our love for Him.
I pray you know I only write these things because I am convicted of them myself. My hope is that we can serve more and love more, and worry about ourselves and our "religion" less.
Pure and undefiled religion before our God and Father is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself unstained by the world.
James 1:27
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