So usually I average about 2 of these writing pieces a week. Some weeks I might do 3 and some weeks I might write just 1. I don't have a list of topics or anything that I just choose from. I write about something only when God speaks to me about it. The Holy Spirit will lay some topic or issue on my soul and then I'll write. It has been going steady like this for awhile now. I don't have some quota, as far as how many writings per week I can turn out. I just write when I'm inspired, and as I said it's been about 2 a week.
Last week I just wrote one piece. I didn't write anything this weekend. I just haven't felt inspired since the one I wrote last week. I was sitting with my notebook in hand last night and the thought came over me that I was supposed to write. I had this feeling as if it was just something I needed to check off my list. (You know the good Christian checklist, pray: check, read my Bible: check, go to church: check, help an old lady across the street: check, write a piece: ummm.) I sort of felt like it was my duty to write. But, I hadn't been inspired to write about anything since last time. I could probably scribble down something about how Jesus' resurrection meant more than just Him conquering death for us; that His resurrection was also a symbol of the restoration He offers us from our broken lives. You know, some profound theological piece. But there was no inspiration, and I just couldn't bring myself to write.
I think at times we all get like this on our spiritual journey as Christ followers. One day we wake up and the inspiration and passion has faded away like a distant memory. Then, we feel the need to perform like we are actors in some sort of play. We put on a life of what is expected out of us, what a good Christian is supposed to do. Sunday we go to church so that we can just mark one good deed off our list. We read our Bible not because of thirst or out of love, but so that we feel as if it's our job. And I'm not saying that during the times where we don't feel as close to God as we should, that we just wait until we feel like doing these things again. Practicing discipline is what can get us through these 'down' times. But for me, I don't like getting to the point where I'm just going through the motions. I don't enjoying performing as the character of the good Christian. And I'm not a legalist by any means, thinking that one has to perform all of these certain things in order for God to love them.
I don't want to just perform the Christian duties because that is what I'm supposed to do. I want to do because that's want I desire to do. Jesus did say that two certain things were most the important. Love God and love everyone else. And if I am loving God and loving everyone else as I was created to do, everything else that I do will be out of an act of love. I will pray because I love talking to my Father. I will read my Bible because I love the things that Daddy can teach me through it. I will go to church because I love serving my Father and love just being around my brothers and sisters. I will help old ladies across the street because I love old ladies. I guess the point I'm trying to make is that yes there are some times when we feel like we need to perform our Christian duties because we feel like that is just what we are supposed to do. But before we just give into the motions and act out of duty, we need to take a step back and reflect on God's love for us. When we see how much He loves us, we will want to do the good Christian things out of our love for Him. Live Blessed and Live out of Love…
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