As many of you know, I do mention the spiritual revival I had in 2006 quite often. It is not because I am proud of what I did back then, but because I am amazed at the long-suffering, guidance, concern, and kindness of God for me. In 2006, while facing some real spiritual battles and going through my Ph.D. program, I came across three verses that would change my life: But if from thence thou shalt seek the LORD thy God, thou shalt find him, if thou seek him with all thy heart and with all thy soul (Deuteronomy 4:29), Sow to yourselves in righteousness, reap in mercy; break up your fallow ground: for it is time to seek the LORD, till he come and rain righteousness upon you (Hosea 10:12), and That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us (Acts 17:27).
Although I had prided myself in reading the Bible through twice each year in the past, I never really had a verse – or verses – grab hold of my mind as much as these three did. Even as I tried to continue my Bible reading, I always kept coming across other verses that were tied somehow to those three. Then one evening, I came across a couple of more verses: In those days, and in that time, saith the LORD, the children of Israel shall come, they and the children of Judah together, going and weeping: they shall go, and seek the LORD their God (Jeremiah 50:4) and When thou saidst, Seek ye my face; my heart said unto thee, Thy face, LORD, will I seek (Psalms 27:8). I decided that I would begin to seriously study those verses and that particular theme of seeking the Lord as I had studied various historical events, authors, books, and other writings as a part of my college education. Within a month, I fell under conviction that my faith was not being guided by my dependence upon the Holy Spirit but simply, for the lack of a better explanation, by me going through the motions.
We all know what it means to simply go through the motions. Whether it is in our workplace, our marriage and friendships, or even our spiritual walk, at some time we are all guilty of doing things without any investment of ourselves. As a result, our work becomes unrewarding, our marriages and friendships become hollow and lacking, and our spiritual walk withers. I was not experiencing any joy in my walk with Christ. Going to church and reading my Bible daily had become a part of my normal routine and I actually patted myself on the back for my faithfulness to both; however, my heart was not into either. My spiritual health had become anemic. God had tried to get my attention refocused through the trials I was going through and when I was too blind to see that, He began using what I was doing – reading my Bible daily – to speak directly to my soul. It was through His word that He offers us a great invitation: Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool (Isaiah 1:18).
In a way, Jesus warns us about going through the motions; during his earthly ministry, He was teaching the disciples about prayer when he said: But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking (Matthew 6:7). Now this verse warns about praying using vain repetitions – going through the motions when we pray. Yes, we are praying, but we are not emotionally or spiritually invested in our prayers. The apostle Paul even wrote on this very topic, warning the Christians at the church in Colossus: Servants, obey in all things your masters according to the flesh; not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but in singleness of heart, fearing God: And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men (Colossians 3:22-23). The terms “eyeservice” and “menpleasers” simply refer to going through the motions to meet the expectations of others. This is not the only time that Paul warns against this: Not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but as the servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart; With good will doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men: Knowing that whatsoever good thing any man doeth, the same shall he receive of the Lord, whether he be bond or free (Ephesians 6:6-8).
Both the teachings of Jesus and Paul show us the dangers of when we go through the motions. Not only are they not rewarding or fulfilling, but they also do not reap any real spiritual fruit. We all know people who can quote the Lord’s Prayer forwards and backwards, yet there is no true peace, joy, and hope that only the Lord can bring. We all know people who attend church each time the doors are opened yet their spiritual life is in disarray, there is little spiritual growth, and they do not experience the real joy that Christ can bring even into the most shattered life. From 1988 to 2006, my spiritual life was living up to the expectations that I thought others, including God, had set for me. I do not mean that every time I went to church or prayed it was for the benefit of others, but there were many times when my worship was less than sincere, my prayers not from the heart, and even my personal evangelism was because it was expected that I do them and not because of me doing them out of a cheerful heart and with an attitude of joy and love.
I do not know when it first began, but over time it grew to all areas of my faith. Soon, I began reading the Bible just because it was something Christians did. Not only was I doing this in my spiritual walk, I was also doing the same thing in my marriage, my relationship with my children, and even while going to graduate school and my job. I was simply living day-to-day, task by task, and going through the motions in everything I did. No longer did I enjoy the richness of my faith, but my faith became increasingly hollow and joyless. Looking back at those days, I am glad that God woke me from the mental and spiritual sleep that I had settled in. I am glad that He rekindled my passion for Him, that he gave me purpose and desire to be all that He has called me to be. Since 2006, the Lord has done some remarkable things in my life when I decided to quit going through the motions and decided to put my heart into everything that I did. If God can do that for me, he can certainly do it for you; no longer just go through the motions, but put your heart, soul, and mind behind everything you do. Live your life for Christ, and not for those around you.
For the last few mornings, I have begun to get back into my routine of the morning walk. Before the cold weather set in December, I was walking each morning at a pace between 3 and 3½ miles an hour for about an hour each morning. At first, it was difficult to get started but just like anything else, it did get to the point where my mornings did not feel complete unless I had done my walk. With the return of warmer weather, I am now determined to not only increase my pace but to increase the number of miles walked each morning.
Last month, I began teaching a new Sunday School class at my church. Although I have never been to Bible college, I have served as a fill-in pastor for two Baptist and one United Methodist churches since I surrendered my life to Christ in 1988. About a year and a half ago, my pastor approached me with the idea and vision of starting a new Sunday School class. At the time, I did my best to give the Pastor every reason I could think of not to do the new class. It wasn’t because I didn’t know how to study the Bible or to create lessons and present them to a group of people. Between pastoring and teaching at the college level, those things come as almost a second nature. What made it different is that since 2006 I rededicated my life to the Lord.
