Can We Overdo Our Faith?
I remember, when I grew up, there was a term for people that were overzealous about their faith. They were called Bible Thumpers. They were recognized by their big Bibles that they carried around with them all the time. They would speak to any one, at any time, and any where. They sometimes would get lumped in with those that would go around preaching that the end was near and that everyone should repent. Back in those days, I thought they were crazy. Looking back at who I was, I wasn’t exactly all in for Jesus. I believed, but surely God doesn’t expect us to represent Him 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and 365/366 days a year. It got me thinking and as I pondered that concept, my answer kept coming back, “Were they crazy, or was I?” If Jesus is our example, what was His life like. He was constantly devoted to healing, teaching, and preaching. He even made the comment once that the Son of Man has no place to lay His head. Translation? He is telling us He didn’t work out of home but traveled and stayed wherever He was invited. Now, consider how much of your day is actually devoted to God and His work... devotions, reading scripture, Bible studies, prayer, evangelism, worship, etc. You have 24 hours in a day, minus a generous 11 hours for sleeping, eating, showers, getting dressed, etc. That leaves 13 hours a day that you can serve God with. How much of that is given to God and His work? You can’t use work as an excuse because there are ways we can be intentional about our faith even there. I’m not saying you have to evangelize all the time but let the light of Christ shine in you through your work and actions. You might be thinking that just isn’t you, but maybe it would be if God had all of you... all of us. How much time do you spend on your phone, the computer, or TV compared to the time you spend devoted to God? (Is it getting sobering?) How about how much you spend on politics, hobbies, or sports compared to the time you spend focused on God’s work? Now re-read the beginning of this pondering and re-evaluate whether they were over-doing it or if we are under-doing it. By the way, I’m not talking about doing religion or doing church. I’m talking about living out our faith in everything we do. Father, I praise You because You are God and are worthy of all our worship and praise. Lead us each day to do Your will. Amen