Why do we do what we do?
I know this is a rhetorical question, but think about it for just a moment. Why?
Suppose a man came home with flowers for his wife. She, in surprise, says, “Oh, how thoughtful of you! Thank you! That’s so sweet that you were thinking of me!” Suppose this man said in response, “Well, it’s my duty, I’m you’re husband.” Or, what if he said, “Well, I thought you needed it.” Or better yet, how about this response: “Oh, they were real cheap, it was no big deal.”
I don’t think this flies real well with the wife. But how come? Do you think this woman even wants the flowers now? Why not?
We tend to do a lot of things for strange reasons. I give 10% of my income, and rightfully so. I go to church. I dress a certain way. I try to live holy. But why?
God, in his word, states that we were created “for his pleasure.” Does it really please God that we do so many of these religious rituals because we’re “supposed to.”
In Matthew 23, God rebukes a group of people, religious leaders, no less, for thinking that the outward actions were what mattered, and told them that after searching the world over for converts, they make one twice the child of hell as they are! Jesus seemed to disregard deeds done based on “duty” and not on love. I can almost see Jesus telling the Pharisees, “I don’t want your flowers.”
I can do very nice things for those I love, and they accept them with true love in return, because they believe it came from a heart of love. Christ just wants the same. He doesn’t want your income “because you’re supposed to” give it. In fact, he says in Corinthians to determine in your heart what to give, and do it out of cheerfulness. Why? Because God doesn’t need your money! He needs your heart!
Why do you give to missions? Because God needs it? God tell us in Psalms 50, “If I were hungry, I would not tell thee. The world is mine, and the fullness thereof.”
Jesus was truly angry with the religious leaders who had all the rituals down, but missed the message of God in the incarnation of his Son. He ignored their rituals.
Let’s not be polished on the outside, so that we can be in the right place, at the right time, dressed the right way, to be seen by the right people. Let’s show God love out of a pure heart. And do live holy, and be in your place, and give what God says to give, and do right….because of love!
Why? Because I love Christ!
2 comments:
Very true Clay. It's so easy to do things out of habit or because we're "supposed to" but it sure doesn't mean very much if that's the only reason. Good post. Aunt Tricia
You know I have been more observant of that way of thinking. I teach Sunday School in my Independent Fundamental Baptist church and also I teach Masters Club. Kids can tell you what they believe and do as God and their parents would have them to do, but they don't know why they have to do it. When you have the four/five year olds who give the questions "why is that?" or just "Why?" It really makes you think and determine to really know why you believe the things you do, I've heard people say, "I'm a Baptist because my family is" Well that is not good enough of an answer to why. It's important to know why God wants you to do and why He wants you to do and how it needs to be done.
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