The dangers of a routine

We all know having a routine is good for us. We allocate time in our day to workout, to do chores, a time to sleep and so on. We even try to do the same in our walk of faith. We set a time to fellowship, to bible study and so on. All this is great but there’s also a downside to having a routine.

When it comes to our daily devotion, we squeeze this in somewhere in our day. Your routine may be to read your bible first thing in the morning and have your prayer time just before bed. Others may choose to read on their commute to work and pray on their lunch break. That is how most of us operate. We dedicate a specific part of our day to Christ. So, what’s the problem? I’m reading and praying, that’s a good thing right? Praise God that you are, but what happens when your prayer time is in the morning but you've woken up late for work and are now in a rush? Are you able to fit your normal prayer time in, or do you find yourself caught up in a hurry putting prayer on hold and most likely forgetting. Another example, your reading time is just before bed but you've had a long day and fallen asleep on the sofa. What happens then? Well you end up missing out on quality time with God because life has gotten in the way.

Routines are a great way to stay on top of things, get yourself organised and make sure your day/life runs smoothly. However, God shouldn’t fall in our routine. He should be our lifestyle. Regardless of how busy your day has been, just as we don’t go without fleshly necessities we shouldn’t go without Christ. This means that throughout the day we should be able to pray, throughout the day we should be able to look at our bibles, throughout the day we should have Christ on our mind. A constant hunger to spend some time with the Lord in worship and devotion. If we choose to plug God in at a certain time of the day, at some point we're going to choose to unplug him. Not because it's intentional but because there is always going to be a distraction.

Jesus is who we face and aspire to be like. His time on earth did not consist of a routine, his life was devoted to his Father, his ministry, his people. Nothing got in the way.

1 Thessalonians 5:17

Pray without ceasing,

Romans 12:12

Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.

Colossians 4:2

Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving.

Luke 6:12

In these days he went out to the mountain to pray, and all night he continued in prayer to God.

Mark 1:35 

And rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he departed and went out to a desolate place, and there he prayed.

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

Acts 16:25

About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them,

Joshua 1:8

This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.

1 Timothy 4:13

Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation, to teaching.

Fear of dying

If somebody said they’ve never been scared of this thought, they’re probably lying. At some point we have all most definitely been scared of the idea of ‘death.’ How can we not, it means separating from your loved ones and not being able to do the things you enjoy. It’s finite.

Then we have some Christians, who aren't scared at all but instead are full of joy and anticipation. So how can it be, that some Christians dread the day whilst others await it? Well, how can you be ready to meet someone you’ve never known? What makes some Christians not fear death is that they believe in Jesus Christ and understand that they will be resurrected to live with him forever. To fear death is a normal feeling as it is a difficult thing to mentally process. Those Christian that are anxious may be be living in compromise or not fully believe in Christ. They may have doubts about what happens next or doubts about whether or not they will make heaven their home. Sometimes people think it's something they must continually work towards hence they cannot be certain where they will go after death. But Christians should have full confidence of where they will go as faith in Christ is all that is required.

We fixate on this life not understanding how short it is. Let us not be blinded by wealth, titles, people etc. Our main goal is the next life because death is not finite, we have afterlife and we must choose where we want to spend eternity.

If you are that person who questions where you will go next, it means you must spend more time with God, praying for a true revelation of who he is, for an encounter with him. It’s also a good idea to use the bible to study what happens after death. This will give you a better understanding of what is to come.

The bible talks about death and how as Christians we should anticipate the day.

John 11:25-26 

Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?”

Philippians 3:20-21

But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself.

Philippians 1:21

For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.

John 3:3

Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.”

Matthew 25:46

And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”

John 8:51

"I tell you the truth, if anyone keeps my word, he will never see death."

John 5:24

"I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life."

1 Corinthians 15:21-22

"For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive."

Romans 8:38-39

"For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord."

 

Luke 23:43

And he said to him, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise.”

Matthew 10:28

And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell.

Revelation 21:4

He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”

2 Corinthians 5:6-8

So we are always of good courage. We know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord, for we walk by faith, not by sight. Yes, we are of good courage, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord.

Romans 6:23

For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Romans 14:8

For if we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord. So then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord's.

John 3:16 

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

When the church isn't acting like a church

We all have some idea of what a church is and have our own assumptions on how it operates. You say 'Catholic' and people automatically equate that to a man in robes (like the Pope). You say 'Pentecostal' and people envision the the mega churches full of prosperity preaching. But lets' draw away from the big picture and focus on what actually makes up the church. It's the people.

It's your first day at church, maybe you've been invited or were on the hunt. You attend, someone greets you, you hear the message and hang around after service or shoot off. Maybe you manage to exchange a few words with someone, maybe not. For whatever reason you come back and before you know it you're apart of a church. You start to form friendships, later you find yourself wanting to get involved, perhaps you join a ministry and so on. All this is great! But then what happens when you have a disagreement with one of those friends, when your efforts in ministry go un-notice or you begin to become overwhelmed with how busy your life has become with 'church.'

We get so distracted on the things we're doing in the church, the relationships we've made, the latest Sunday outfits that we've lost sight of the church's true meaning. Is God pleased?

You're in church but not growing in Christ. You hear sermons weekly without fail and yet there is no change in your conduct, language, way of thinking or your heart. Your pastor delivers powerful messages that stem from the word of God, but these teachings are not applied to your life.

Though we are in church and believe we're doing all the right things, we are still very fleshy and not operating in the spirit. That is why we're able to say 'amen' whilst the pastor is preaching, but fail to speak life to our brothers and sisters. That is why we can be the first in last out but fail to recognise our brother/sister is in need. That is why we put so much emphasis on pleasing the pastor that we forget to please the father. We might look like the role model Christian, but really we are far from God.

So what is the purpose of the Church? How do we fulfil this?

Ephesians 2:19–22

19 Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household, 20 built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. 21 In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. 22 And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.

Romans 12:4–5

4 For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, 5 so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.

1 Timothy 3:14–15

14 Although I hope to come to you soon, I am writing you these instructions so that, 15 if I am delayed, you will know how people ought to conduct themselves in God’s household, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and foundation of the truth.

Romans 12:1-2

12 Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. 2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

As we've read, the church is a community of believers worshipping Christ. The church is to be preserved for Christs return. It belongs to him and we are his stewards. As we mind his church, remember the church is Holy and the place of truth. Let us focus on the meaning; to serve God, to encourage one another, to sacrifice/get involved. All this contributes to the growth of the church. Is that not what we want to see? More lives being saved, more souls added to the kingdom!

Whilst in church we should see change within ourselves. Lastly, the way we act, serve, treat one another, is it aligned with holiness and truth? The church is the body of believers that follow Christ. Hence whether the building comes or goes, the church will always remain!

Amen.