Checklist Christianity

   I recently read a book titled Firsthand:Ditching Secondhand Religion for a Faith of Your Own by Ryan & Josh Shook. I got it free for participating in a survey. The idea of the book, is that so many young people grow up and just live the faith of their parents, never getting their own, and then they fall apart when things get tough, because they are just hanging onto their parents' coat tails, so to speak.

  They briefly addressed something in the one chapter that hit home. They called it "Checklist Christianity", something I have been guilty of, and if everyone is honest, most of us have been. What is "Checklist Christianity"? It is having a mental list of things we do that make us feel we have accomplished our responsibilities as a Christian:

Read my Bible today: check
Prayed today: check
Prayed for my food in a restaurant: check
Prayed out loud for my food in a restaurant: gold star
Attended a.m. worship: check
Attended Sunday School: check
Attended every night of revival services: 2 gold stars

   Get the point? Part of it may go back to a point I addressed, or think I did, in my last blog post. We are so in bondage to people. Some of the things we do, we do because we are afraid what other church members will think of us if we don't.

We are exhausted mentally, physically, and spiritually, but what would people think if we didn't go every night of revival services, or didn't go to all the camp meeting services.

Or worse, didn't go to any camp meeting services.

They ask for volunteers to help with vacation Bible school. Your week is crazy, the to do list is endless, but what would people think if you didn't volunteer?

   Yes, we need to be in church, and yes, there are always things that need done in the church, but if we really don't have time or other resources, God will understand. And people? Who cares. Sounds crass, but really, are we trying to serve people, or God? Who is going to judge us when we get to Heaven, God, or our fellow church members?

  And I am not saying we should go to the other extreme of skipping church all the time for any piddly reason, or dodging any extra responsibility. Being a Christian isn't all about sitting on our butts and watching everyone else doing it all. There is a happy medium, and if we don't have time or other resources for one thing in the church, there are enough things that need done that we can find something.

   I have done a lot of self examination and of looking over my past, specifically my spiritual past, and I am so guilty of checklists, of doing things because its expected by other people, and of something else: comparing myself to others. Compared to so and so, I'm doing good.

  Sometimes I wish I could chuck everything I know about being a Christian, church, the do's and don'ts out the window, be given a Bible, and start over. Serving God has to be more than checking things of a list, of doing things because we are afraid of what others will think if we don't, of just doing better and looking better than the guy across the aisle at church.

  We have revival services and expect God to show up and renew us, but we hang onto our lists and never jump completely into His grace and love. And there are many who get it, but I'm afraid too many are like me: carrying our checklist around and dragging our chains with us, chains binding us to do what people expect and want, not what God wants.

  I had this thought the other day, specific to a certain area, but it covers all areas: I believe people expect more out of us than God. Maybe that is why so many of us live in bondage to other people. Want an example? OK, I'll give one: church attendance.

  The Bible says to not forsake the assembling of ourselves together. A side note: a friend pointed out that it doesn't specifically mean church, we need to be with other Christians outside of church too. But back to my point: here are the weekly services at my church:
Sunday:
7:00am(I think): men's morning prayer meeting
9:30am: Sunday School
10:30am: Morning worship, children's church
6:15pm: prayer service for anyone over 25 or so, children's service, and youth meeting

Jail service Sunday afternoon
Once a month: 2:00pm, rest home service

Wednesday: prayer meeting at 7:00 pm

Spring revival services, Tuesday-Sunday
Fall revival services, Tuesday-Sunday
Vacation Bible school: Monday-Friday evening, some week in June
Conference - held at our denomination camp ground, Wed-Sunday, some week in June
Youth camp, held same place, Thursday-Sunday, some week in July
Main camp, same place, 10 days some week in August
And toss in some other extra services throughout the year.

   Now there are people who go to all of those, and God bless them for it, but there is nowhere in the Bible that says how much we have to go to church. Kind of like reading the Bible. We have this idea we need to read a chapter or so many chapters a day, but I have come to believe the quantity isn't what matters. What we get out of it matters. If we read one verse, and really get it, that is better than reading 5 chapters so we can just check it off on our list. And though we should be regular in church attendance, if we are going to please others, God isn't going to be impressed.

  There were checklist Christians in Jesus' day. They were the Pharisees. They had their checklists and proudly checked them off and did everything for show. They had no love, no compassion, and helped crucify the very Son of God because He upset their empty and vain religion. If we take away our checklists, what is left?

   I'm winging it here, but I believe God has checklists too, but they are a lot different than ours. His might look like this:
Love
Obedience
Compassion
Soul winning
Communion with Him

   As usual, I have rambled, typing out my thoughts as they come. I don't want anyone to read this and think I'm OK with irregular church attendance, or stopping the things I gave as examples of a check list. I just want to serve God and have a relationship with Him that isn't bound to rules and checklists. I want to do those things because I love Him and its my way of showing Him so, and as a way of getting closer to Him, if that makes sense. And you know what? If we miss a day reading our Bible, forget to pray for our food, stay home from a service to get some much needed rest..... He isn't going to toss us out on our ear.

  I'm weary of living a checklist religion. Of mentally checking off things because I feel I have to do so to be a Christian, and to look good to other Christians. I'm tired of comparing myself to others. When compared to Christ, who is who I need to compare myself with, I don't look good at all. My righteousness is as filthy rags. I want to live a life that people will see Christ in me, but also a life that isn't lived to live up to people's expectations of what I should do, of how I should act, etc. I am caring less and less about that. I don't know if it is the right word to use when talking about God, but if I impress anyone, I want to live a life that impresses Him. He is the One who will judge me at the end of my life, not anyone else, so why should I continue to live for others' expectations? Is it no wonder my religious experience has been so lacking. I have been a modern day Pharisee, and I am tired of being one, tired of pleasing people instead of God. God grant me the strength and ability to rip up my checklist and throw myself wholeheartedly into what He wants and expects. In some ways, it is far less than what people expect. But that is why its called grace.