12.22.24 Willisburg Bulletin
This is the time of year that everyone is stressing over gifts and holiday gatherings, and sometimes our spiritual health deteriorates. Especially since the world put so much focus on “remembering the reason for the season” saying it’s a celebration of Jesus’ birthday, but we know that’s not so. Therefore in hopes to disregard that claim since we hear that so much, we almost Jesus on the back burner to aim our focus on the holiday happenings. Do you ever feel the sense of disconnect? We start going through the motions since we aren’t in it fully. We begin leaving our heart and mind out of it. This is not uncommon among Christians. I think it happens a lot more than we even want to admit so we must examine ourselves to see if we are falling into this.
SIGNS
Which end of each question describes you?
- Are you just showing up to services because you know it is a command, or are you coming because you love God and want to be here to serve and encourage?
- Are you looking for ways to grow or do you just feel like surviving?
- Are you giving a contribution? Do you really think about your giving or are you just writing the same number on that check each week because you know it’s commanded?
- Are you doing your lesson? Do you really take the time at home to study the lesson or are you just showing up not prepared and maybe even leaving your book at the building?
- Are you seeking opportunities to serve or are you looking for ways to pass the buck?
- Are you trying new ways to serve or are you saying you can’t and looking at others to do it?
- Are you reading your Bible daily or excusing it by saying you’re busy and will do it tomorrow?
- Do you have a prayerful approach to everyday or do you think about how much you don’t see God answering?
- Are you grateful for all your blessings or just seeing all the negatives in life?
- Are you finding ways to help others or are you set on fulfilling your daily checklist?
- Do you have a mindset for your worldly job first and doing spiritual things afterward or is it the other way around?
- Are you searching for avenues to share the gospel or do you just go about your day working and not even thinking or speaking about God?
- Are you doing something to benefit Willisburg or are you just claiming to be a member?
- Do you have a focus on your worldly job so much that your spiritual jobs have to be fulfilled by someone else or do you find ways to serve more spiritually?
- Are you looking at different ways to bring God into your home or are you finding ways to bring in worldly things?
- Are you listening to the lesson of the preacher or are you thinking about what you have to do when you get home?
- Do you look forward to going to worship to be with your brethren or do you dread going?
- Are you zealous for good works or just completing them because you know it’s required?
- Are you putting your heart and mind into serving God or just going through the motions?
BIBLICAL EXAMPLE
The Israelites are the first people I think of regarding going through the motions. They were still sacrificing and doing all the things commanded by God, but their hearts were not in it. God warned even told them that He would rather them not even complete the acts if they don’t mean it. The verse even reads it was evil. Do we want to be doing evil or righteousness?
EXAMINE YOURSELF
Going through the motions can become a really big problem if we don’t get it in check quick. If we let it fester and get worse, it will separate you from God further making it easier to fall into the world. Let’s really examine ourselves to ensure we are zealous for spiritual growth and nearness to God rather than falling into the trap of going through the motions.