Flashback: Religious Routine? (Micah 5-7)

Every once in a while when I’m sitting in church I look around and think about what I see.  How many people would be here if they weren’t committed to religious routine?  Would I be here if I wasn’t committed to my religious routine?  I think there is at least some population of people who fall into the bad habit of viewing God in such a manner – myself included, at times.  It is a bad habit because, each Sunday, we have the privilege of worshipping our great God and hearing a message from His Word.  For that to become routine is a loss of the recognition of just how special it is.  Interestingly, God isn’t interested in religious checklists and routines.  This is a battle the Israelites fought, so it’s no surprise that we might fight it today, too.  In fact, in Micah 6:8 we learn that God doesn’t care much about routine: He wants us to do justice, to love kindness, and to walk humbly with Him.  Faithfulness to God’s covenant requires faith in Him and walking in His ways.  Religious checklists are secondary to those things.  If you find yourself in a religious routine, take a few moments to step back and remember that God cares more about a relationship with you than He does about you crossing things off your religious checklist.