Several months ago I was sitting in a church service, and a question went through my head… unfortunately when a person works for a church it's easy to begin analyzing everything that happens during the services rather than totally focusing during worship (a temptation I fight on a regular basis). Anyway the question I started thinking about was: How many of these people would be here if they weren't committed to religious routine? Perhaps a small number. But I think there is at least some population of people who fall into that bad habit. It is a bad habit, after all, because each Sunday we have the privilege of worshiping our great God and hearing a message from His Word. For that to become routine is a sad reality. Interestingly, God isn't interested in religious routine. 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 activity is secondary to those things. If you find yourself in a religious routine, then you might consider asking yourself whether or not you care about the things God cares about and whether or not you're living those out in your life.
About Seth
Seth is a pastor, author, and speaker who lives in Batesville, Indiana. He is married to Kari, and they have two daughters, Madelyn and Noelle.
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