Do We Just Go Through the Motions with God?

So, what is your relationship with God like?  Is it more like a “best friend” that you are in constant contact with?  Or, is it like a friend you only talk to once in a blue moon?  Some people we just go through the motions with, others we are more deeply connected to, and actual do life together.  Unfortunately, this is how it can be with God as well.  We can either go through the motions, or we can deeply do life together.

Are We a Sunday God Person?

 What is a Sunday God person?  This is a person who feels like they can’t miss church on Sunday but doesn’t think much about God the rest of the week.  I mean, it makes sense that we would be this way, because we have been conditioned to formally connect with God one day a week.  So, that one day, we get dressed up (for God?), put on our godly face, and go be the person we have led everyone to believe we are.  We may live like hell the rest of the week, but that one day, we put on our best for God.  So, a Sunday God person will check the box of going to church and “putting in their time” for God, but will spend very little time thinking about God, or exhibiting the fruits of the spirit, the rest of the week.

Do You Talk the Talk, But Not Walk the Walk?

 We have been able to see some great examples of this very recently.  It happens to be political season in my state right now, and with political season, comes political ads.  One of the best examples of talking the talk, but not walking the walk, came in some of these political ads.  There were several candidates, who ran as one of their platforms, being a Christian.  Some of these ads then proceeded to say nothing of what they would actually specifically do if they were elected, however some of these ads talked negatively of their opponent and depicted the opponent in a negative light.  In one specific case, they even ran an ad saying their opponent was running a negative campaign, even though their opponent never said one thing negative about them.  Even though we live in the bible belt, this person won this election.  So, whether we are talking about the candidate who ran the negative ads, or the people who voted for this candidate, what happened to walking the walk?

James 1:22-24 – Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves.  Do what it says.  Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like.

These politicians, and all of us for that matter, need to quit talking bad about other people, many times with a one-sided truth, and talk about what we are doing instead.  The following verses give us insight into why we should not talk negatively about other people.

James 3: 9-10 – With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse human being, who have been made in God’s likeness.  Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing.  My brothers and sisters, this should not be.

Psalms 15: 2-3 – The one whose walk is blameless, who does what is righteous, who speaks the truth from their heart; whose tongue utters no slander, who does no wrong to a neighbor, and casts no slur on others

So, if someone runs on the platform of being a Christian, and they want to walk the walk instead of just talking the talk, they should stick to talking about themselves, instead of talking negatively about their opponents.  At the same time, we as voters, should hold politicians accountable to the platform on which they are running.  If the walk doesn’t match the talk, we should question the integrity of that candidate.

How do We Treat Our Employees/Employers?

 If we find ourselves on the side of being an employer, meaning that we have people we supervise, how do we treat them?  Do we use them as a means to an end to get what we want, or do we treat them as an equally important overall part of the process?  Do we, to the best of our ability, try to maximize the money we make, while at the same time, try to minimize what we pay our employees?  Not that there is anything wrong with making a profit, but if our gain includes treating someone else inequitably, we are not walking the walk.

Philippians 2: 3-4 – Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit.  Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interest of others.

If we find ourselves on the side of being an employee, meaning we have someone who supervises us, how do we treat them?  Do we give them the best of our ability at all times?  If we don’t feel like they are treating us as they should, do we hold back our effort to “get back at them?”  Remember, each of us have the choice to decide where we want to work.  So, if we don’t like the environment we are in, it is up to us to change that environment, either by speaking up to our employer, or changing our place of employment.  It is not okay for us to be mistreated, but if we mistreat someone else in return, we are not walking the walk.

Colossians 3: 23 – Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters.

How do We Treat Those Closest to Us? 

 Unfortunately, the people that are the closest to us are usually the ones we take most for granted.  You would think that the people that are the closest to us, would be the ones we would treat the best.  So, why do we think this is?  Those that are closest to us already know us.  They know our good, our bad, and our ugly.  Because of this, we are no longer trying to impress them by putting on our best face, so we freely let our bad and ugly show.  On the other hand, those that are not close to us, do not already know us.  Because of this, we put on our best face, hoping they will see our good, but not our bad and our ugly.

If we really want to walk the walk, we need to do this in reverse.  For those closest to us, we need to try and impress them, not by being fake, but by giving them the best version of ourselves.  We should maximize letting them see our good and minimize letting them see our bad and ugly.  For those who are not close to us, we need to quit trying to impress them, by hiding parts of us, and instead just be who we are.  Not only will this help us in our journey to be honest and of high integrity, but those closest to us will see us put forth the same effort for them that we do to those that are not as close to us.

After all, we cannot truly hide who we are or what we should be doing.

Jeremiah 23: 24 – Who can hide in secret places so that I cannot see them?  declares the Lord.  Do I not fill the heaven and earth?  declares the Lord.

Let’s quit going through the motions with God and commit to a deep and meaningful walk through this life together.