Wednesday, March 8, 2017

Day 91: Relationship, Not Rituals

Day 91
Numbers 18-19; Mark 3

The motives of what we do can be either rooted in relationships and genuine love for someone, or because we feel guilt and shame and it's just what you have to do or because it's what you've always done. I can't tell you how many times that phrase comes up in the church. "It's what we've always done." While doing what has been tradition and ritual isn't a bad thing, if we aren't careful, we lose sight of the people who so desperately need a relationship with Jesus, or with you, and the ritual becomes a blinder to how it feels for that person to walk in. Consider our reading today as we take a closer look at what the Bible says.

There was much duty and task-oriented activity among the Israelites. It was a way for them to serve God in their work and give them ownership of their faith. The same is true today. When we actually serve in some capacity in the church or community, we feel like we're a piece of it. How much more do you appreciate your church when you are actually taking part in serving on a Sunday or during the week? There comes a whole new light as to why the church does what it does. You are more likely to give to a church out of seeing the vision and the why of it, rather than being guilted and shamed into giving because giving "is what you're supposed to do". That means nothing to someone new to the faith. When someone can see the impact, however, they can buy into that.

The purpose of what we do is to share the love and redemption we have in Christ. The heart is the motive of for why you serve, never the duty or the task of it. If you truly believe that Christ is enough for you and that He deserves the forefront of your life, serving isn't an issue. I believe Aaron and his sons were chosen because of what God saw in their hearts. While the Old Testament is full of the rules and duties to be carried out, we have been redeemed by an all-powerful, all-loving God in Jesus by the time the New Testament rolls around. If you truly understand the price of sin from what you read in the Old Testament, then what Jesus did for you to create that relationship and close that gap between us and our Heavenly Father is the most important thing that should matter to us. In turn, we give back and are free of our guilt and our shame. Keep in mind that you are to share that freedom and how you have it to those who don't know anything about the Bible, traditions, rituals, old hymns, pews...They need to know it's more than ritual and "it's just something we've always done".

We can see Jesus throwing the rituals and traditions and the rules right out the window when He heals the crippled man on the Sabbath. He asks the crowd which was more important - the law or saving a life. Jesus is saddened by the hard hearts and the priority, and He heals the man anyways, knowing His accusers will use it against Him. Jesus cared more about people and winning a soul and life. Does your heart match up with this priority?

I can't help but look at Jesus' disciples and know that they were misfits, like I feel like at times. Jesus worked His ministry by healing multitudes and teaching to multitudes, but He truly poured into the twelve. A relationship was built up in the little group, and He sent them out to do the same. Spreading the Good News doesn't have to be HUGE, but Jesus did it by leading small. He had His few and He did life with them and taught them. I think many times we get caught up in the program and the numbers and we forget that it only takes a cup of coffee with one to start something powerful and win a heart for Christ.

Stop and think about the things you value about your church. The traditions? The rituals? The energy in the numbers? The programs that draw in the crowds? While these things are all great and have absolutely nothing wrong with them, we need to consider how Jesus did ministry. While He shared with crowds, He poured into a few. Get the "we've always done it this way" mentality out of your head and consider the ultimate WHY of what the church does, or is supposed to do. If the traditions and rituals are getting in the way of truly allowing in those who have no clue Who Jesus is or what the church is about, it's time to reassess. Get out of your habits, and look around you. There may just be a young soul in need of a cup of coffee and an ear. That is ministry. That is evangelism. Pouring quality into a few lives, rather than focusing on getting hundreds to an program and not spending a single quality word with them.


No comments:

Post a Comment