A Really Expensive Hobby

I spend a lot of time, working to live the Christian life. I try to pray for an hour each day. I also try to study the scriptures once each day. My wife and I periodically fast (not often enough, admittedly), and then we have our actual church services, which consist of:

• Monday evening prayer (1 hour, plus travel time)
• Tuesday evening Bible study (1.5+ hours, plus travel time)
• Friday evening Joy Night and Pastoral Teaching (2+ hours, plus travel time)
• Saturday evening prayer (1 hour, plus travel time)
• Sunday services (7+ hours, plus travel time)

If I then factor in all the periodic activities such as district and jurisdictional events, C.H. Mason Bible Institute classes, etc., I think I could safely assert that a significant portion of my life is "Christ focused". I wish to note that I didn't say "church focused", because none of the above time commitments above include "para-church" activities such as car washes, choir practice, bake sales, broadcast ministry work, nursing home visitations, ministerial staff meetings, etc. Just my personal and corporate Bible study, worship, and prayer. So why do I do it? Why do I devote dozens of my busy hours each week to God? What do I have to gain? What's the "return on investment" of this significant time commitment? Does it increase my personal wealth, my fame, or my renown among the people of my community? More importantly, does it make a difference to God? Does God carry some sort of "tally sheet" where he measures the amount of time we spend in devotion to him (perhaps comparing it to the amount of time we spend in front of the television?), and arrive at some sort of "measure of righteousness"?

No, a thousand times. No.

1 Cor 15:19 (NLT) - And if our hope in Christ is only for this life, we are more to be pitied than anyone in the world.

I give my time, talent, and tithes to God because he loved me enough to give his only Son, so I could have an eternal relationship with him. He gave me his best, and the scriptures tell us he wants our best in return. How do I figure out what my best toward God is? By staying in the scriptures, by praying, by fasting, and by corporate worship.

If I'm doing this for any other reason, then "living the Christian life" is nothing but a really expensive hobby. I want to live my life in such a way that it brings pleasure to God. As Pastor Hunt so often says, "I don't want to just 'make it in'. I want my life to please him."

© 2008 Scotty Ward