The Motions

Will you just continue going through the motions? Going to church, youth group, Bible class, chapel, doing everything that's expected of you. But with no heart and no real desire for God. I've begun realizing more that my relationship with Christ is MY choice. Not one that someone has made for me, and it's not something that someone can keep going for me.

Being raised in a Christian home, always going to church, and always have gone to a Christian school has been a good thing, but I think it's hindered me. It's taken me way too long to realize that I have to put the effort into my relationship with Christ. Going to church and youth group and being at a Christian school doesn't make my life necessarily one for God if my heart's not in it.

I can make a pretty good guess that a lot of people have felt this same way too. It's easy to think that because we do all these things and go through the motions, that we're good Christians and yes we follow God. But if you're honest with yourself, is it because of your decision and something you WANT to do? Or is it because someone else is making you do those things and say that's what you need to do and you're being forced into it?

Our relationship with Christ is just that, it's OUR relationship. Not someone else's, but too often, that thought slips our mind. We are too easily distracted and we think that our relationship is going great, except that we do everything with a half heart, and continue going through the motions. The sad thing is that we do this without realizing it.

Every day, we should WANT to read our Bible. We should WANT to spend time talking to God. We should WANT to praise Him and glorify Him with our life. Unfortunately, we live in a world that tells us that every day, we should be concerned about ourselves first. God deserves ALL of us. We shouldn't give him what we have leftover at the end of the day. We should be continuing to praise Him all throughout the day and making Him a part of everything we do.

I'm really trying to put this into effect in my life right now. I have this awesome desire right now to read my Bible and learn all I can about God. I love spending time thinking about Him and doing all I can to please Him. Pleasing God is so rewarding and it's absolutely awesome! If you can make that change in your life to stop going through the motions, God will work in your life! No doubt about it!

"Instead, give yourselves completely to God since you have been given new life." Romans 6:13