Years ago, before my wife and I had kids, she would commute about 40 minutes to work every day. When I had days off in the middle of the week or came home from work early, I would sometimes use the time to surprise her. This would usually involve cleaning the house thoroughly, knocking out a handful of “honey do” items, and then making an elaborate (for my level of cooking prowess) dinner. One thing I remember from those days is racing the clock to get everything done that I wanted to do before she got home from work. I remember that I did not sit at the window watching for her to return, thinking that I needed to look busy when she walked in the door. I didn’t even call to see where she was on the drive as a gauge of how much time I had. I eagerly worked on my surprise knowing that I wanted to do as much as I could before she got home. Typically, when her car pulled into the driveway, the dog’s would bark and that would be the cue to start putting dinner on the table and lighting the candles. Until the dogs started barking I eagerly worked on the gift/surprise for my wife because I love her.
At the grocery store in town, there is a magnet on the register that makes me smile every time I see it. It has the famous painting of Jesus standing at the door and knocking with the caption: Jesus is coming, look busy. It’s a funny idea. Jesus will return soon, so like a kid doing chores or an employee working their shift we should make it a point to look like we’re working when He comes. The difference between this mindset and the one I had when preparing a surprise for my wife is that one rises from a place of obligation, while the other comes from a desire to serve someone I love. Don’t get me wrong. I am not trying to put myself on a pedestal as a model follower of Jesus. I freely confess that there are times in my own walk with Jesus when I find myself doing the minimum and unconsciously hoping he doesn’t catch me slacking off. Of course, it’s not as though He doesn’t know what I am doing.
This morning while discussing Jesus’ teachings on His second coming with a group of guys at men’s Bible study it occurred to me that it is easy to fall into the “going through the motions” mindset in my spiritual life. I think that that sort of thing happens when I begin to view it as an obligation rather than an act of love. When I remember how much Jesus has forgiven me and how much I deserve Hell rather than His forgiveness, my love for the Lord grows and I serve freely. In those times, I don’t need to look busy because I am eagerly serving, hoping I have enough time to do what I desire to do for Him before my life ends or He comes back. Conversely, when I am going through the motions, allowing my love for Him to grow cold, I don’t look busy at all and if I do, it is all “busy work” that makes it seem like I am doing more than I really am.
This raises the question: How do you go about keeping the love you have for Christ alive and arriving at a place of eager service? God has given us a handful of mechanisms for accomplishing this. Belonging to a community of believers is high on the list. Gathering with other Christians to talk and worship together makes a world of difference. I have found that gathering with men on Monday morning to read and discuss the Bible adds to that effect. Prayer, study, confessing my sins to other believers, fellowship, and other aspects of my Christian life also contribute. However, nothing has the same effect as gathering with other believers to worship and talk about the Bible/our faith. These are the starting point for living a life of eager service, rather than one marked by watching for the boss so we aren’t caught slacking off.
