For me, Sundays have always been for church. There was no question about it. And if there was an event that happened to fall on a Sunday, I’d be filled with guilt about not attending church. I’d reconcile that guilt by spending extra time in the Bible that day or listening to an old sermon to make up for my absence. And I’ll be honest, I still feel that twinge of guilt today if we happen to miss church for something other than an illness.
I grew up with a very “works-based”, legalistic view of God. I thought that I had to do all the things “right” for God to love me and that if I sinned, He’d be upset and punish me. So Sunday was dedicated to going to church, worshipping, reading the Bible, and reflecting on and confessing my sins. This checked off the boxes of what was “good” and I’d be filled for the week.
Now that I have children of my own and want to mature in my relationship with Christ, I realize being a Sunday Christian just isn’t going to cut it. The sermons I listened to for 30 minutes on Sunday that seemed to speak to me and felt so convicting easily erased from my memory as I became engrossed in the busyness of the week. The worship songs that moved me to tears were replaced with the newest pop songs that played on the radio. The Bible that felt like it spoke to me personally and applied to my everyday life would be left on the counter, only to be picked up again the next Sunday. And I wondered why it was so hard to feel close to God when I only turned to Him in times of need.
Not to say that I had little faith in God or that going to church and doing what you know is right is bad.
It’s more than that.
I’ve always believed in God. Without hesitation, I’ve always known that Jesus Christ died for me on the cross and rose again so that I can have eternal life. Faith was not the issue.
It’s that relationship that I was missing. That having God in the center of your life, needing a savior, wanting to grow in maturity, loving people like Jesus factor was missing. And all I needed to do was recognize the fact that I needed that and now wanted that has made all the difference in my life.
It’s funny how when you completely submit your life to Jesus, the things that you once wanted are no more. The music you once loved just doesn’t have the substance you long for like Christian worship music does. The TV shows and books you enjoyed seem incomparable to the beautiful love story of God. The things you longed for, the relationships you craved, and the success you wanted for yourself are nothing compared to the closeness you feel with God and the overwhelming sense of peace knowing He is in control.
So I’m choosing to do things differently now. No longer will I find myself being just a “Sunday Christian”. I want to live a life that reflects His love and all that He’s done for me. I want to show my children what it means to live in freedom and joy because our hope is in the Christ alone.
So what have I done differently?
| Read the Bible. Outside of church. On my own time. Not because I feel like I have to but because I genuinely want to. “For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.” Hebrews 4:12 (ESV) |
| Pray. Not only in times of need or in some formal way. I speak to God as my Heavenly Father. In genuine conversation; holding nothing back. Expressing my gratitude, my fears, my supplications. “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this it he will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” 1 Thessalonians 5: 16-18 (ESV) |
| Worship. In the car, while cleaning, during times of uncertainty, I blast Christian music and sing it outloud. “Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth! Serve the Lord with gladness! Come into his presence with singing!” Psalm 100: 1-2 (ESV) |
| Journal. Not only is it helpful to pray words outloud, read, and worship, I’ve found it extremely helpful to write things down. Writing down my actual prayer requests, my questions, my gratitude, lessons I’ve learned from His word and in sermons. (*Here is an affiliate link to a sermon journal that I created*) “Make me understand the way of your precepts, and I will meditate on your wondrous works.” Psalm 119:27 (ESV) |
Such simple things to implement. But for some reason it can be so incredibly hard to do consistently.
Life is busy. It’s chaotic. It’s overwhelming. But in the midst of it all, Jesus is calling us. He wants that relationship with us. Just as a parent who wants to hear from their children. Not just on holidays or special occasions. More than a sporadic phone call once in a while. He wants that deep, meaningful, everyday relationship with us that continues to grow and evolve over time.
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