The Motions

“And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words.” –Matthew 6:7

“Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone.” –Ephesians 2: 19-20

 Men, do you ever feel as if you’re just going through the motions of life as a Christian? Has your prayer life become stale and your obedience unauthentic and repetitious? Do you ever feel like you’re seeking a religion rather than a personal relationship with God? It’s easy in life to get side tracked and feel distant from God. Many times we start seeking religious activities such as going to church, singing praise songs just because, saying the right words amongst our Christian peers but when we lay our head on the pillow at night we feel distant from God with no fire or passion for his way of living. We grow stagnant in our faith and before we know it we have no victory over our sin and flesh. Sadly, this happens to most Christians at some time or another and it’s a big reason we are called hypocrites and give Christians a bad name.

Men, it’s time to get back to our First Love which is Christ. How do we do that you might ask? It starts by getting back on our knees and asking for forgiveness out of a repentant spirit and asking him to give us his holy passion in our lives to see his face to obey him because of his love for us. Just like a house needs a cornerstone and strong point to keep it upright so too if Christ isn’t at the center of our lives as the cornerstone, then everything can crumble and become unbalanced.  Remember when you first accepted Christ and that change that came over you? Ask God to take you back to a fresh and new relationship with him. Ask him to take the clouds of your heart and mind away and to desire him again. He wants you to chase directly after him and not a religion or pious act. He didn’t make you to be an actor in your relationship. He wants authentic, real worship for him. Ask for forgiveness and ask him to renew your mind and heart and to give you a genuine love for him again. Wake up men! Stop coasting in your life and going through the motions of Christianity! No wonder our prayer lives and obedience to fight the flesh become ineffective! We’ve become unplugged from the Source of our life. We’ve stepped away from the personal relationship with Christ that gives us victory in our stand and have just become religious instead of authentic!  

There’s a song by Matthew West that pertains to this very thing. The first verse lyrics are as follows:

"This might hurt, it's not safe

But I know that I've gotta make a change

I don't care if I break

At least I'll be feeling something

'Cause just okay is not enough

Help me fight through the nothingness of life

 I don't wanna go through the motions

I don't wanna go one more day

without Your all consuming passion inside of me

I don't wanna spend my whole life asking

'What if I had given everything

instead of going through the motions?"

Men, get back in touch with God in your personal relationship. Stop going through the motions of life. Start living alive and free again as a Christian man of God! Start receiving his strength and power to overcome temptation and to get victory in your life. Remember, in God’s design he planned for you to be the head of your family. You have a lot of responsibility and people counting on you. You need an authentic Christ-centered walk. Re-embrace your faith today!

 Religious acts without authentic love are worthless.