Signs Our Christianity Has Become Too Comfortable?

1. Going to Church on Sunday Morning has become an option.  We wake up on Sunday morning and might lay in bed and debate if we are going to church. When did this become an option? It's the fellowship too, Not just the music, not just the message, but the fellowship as well.

2. We have begun to think that it is the churches responsibility to feed us. The church should feed us some? But what is our responsibility? In the book of Acts, all those folks brought their songs in their hearts. They did not have power points, or sound boards, or microphones or smoke machines. They brought the worship with them, in their hearts. Maybe we need to start doing that and bring our hearts for Jesus with us, and then we can help feed others? Are we showing up when the food is being given out (bread of life), Sunday morning, Sunday night, Wednesday night, support groups/Sunday school?

3 The Bible is starting to seem like a history book. It’s lifeless to us. Just like everything else I have found that where my heart is that is where my treasures are? Has our sports games gotten boring? Or our golf game? What about those novels? What about those repair manuals we use to fix things? What all that stuff we are looking at on the Internet or TV, or the other stuff that we would not what our kids to see us looking at. Has that become boring? If we put the Bible down and quit using it "daily" each day it becomes easier to walk away and stay away from it. The Bible does has history in it, however it also serves as the greatest how-to book of all times. It is our repair manual! It's God's love letters to us.

4. We got this relationship thing with Jesus confused. It is suppose to be a "personal" relationship right? Somewhere we turned it into a "private" thing. We no longer seem to be concerned about the spiritual condition of neighbors, family members, or your co-workers.We stop sharing our testimonies (I like to call them "life-songs") with others. We started sitting on our relationship with Jesus for whatever reason. We act as though the one who created us, can not do for us what He has done in our lives? I looked this morning and Romans 8:28 is still in the Bible. 

5. We haven’t had a spiritual conversation with anyone "Christian or non-Christian" in a long time. We stopped sharing His love with each other. Church is for fellowship, yes. However when did it become "normal" to just sit there, and when we leave. Are we leaving it there? The law says "You have the right to remain silent." It doesn't say you have to does it? I don't have the ability to remain silent when it comes to Jesus Christ. I am not talking just sharing your "life-song," I am talking about talking about Jesus.

6. The plight of the poor/homeless doesn't seem to concern us. When we see that homeless person, do we look the other way? Or, do we decide that we are the judge of them? We ask for grace, but it stops with us? More than 762 times the heart is mentioned in the Bible. This is what we will be judged by, our hearts. If we give with our hearts, and they don't do what they need to do, who will be judged? Jesus said what the greatest command is in Matthew 22:37-40 "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” How can we love God with all our hearts and not love each other? There was no fine print, Jesus did not say "as long as they are like you" or "you see them in church"!

7. Our happiness on Sunday mornings is more important than what it takes to reach the others.  It does appear as long as we get our parking spot, our seat, and hear the music we like, everything’s fine. Don't let the pastor talk about things we need to change, nope. He needs to talk about things that only makes us feel good, not things that might challenge us, but those things that tickle our ear stuff, and to do it without running into lunch time.

8. What kind of answers do we give when asked "Why do you go to church?" I believe some of us are going to church "because that's what we do on Sunday mornings." It's not about a relationship! It's not about getting fed! It's has become a habit. Don't get me wrong. Going to church. Great thing, but for the right reasons. Some folks talk about folks who have addictions and stay away from folks like that (that falls into #6 above, too), they are different. But, all the time they might be addicted to church (going for all the wrong reasons).

9. We criticize what others are doing. We look at what other churches are doing, we will not share Jesus with other folks, however we'll tell everyone who will listen what we don't like about what "that" church is doing. We choose not to get involved in outreach at our church, but we complain that "there wasn't many people coming to church," or "there sure hasn't been many Baptisms lately," "not many folks joining the church." If we as "Christians" would be more like Jesus showed us how to be, how many more folks would want what we say we have? We attack other religions because they believe something different, but wow, look they are serving, and at least they are passionate about what they believe. Are we?

10. Pictures and reports of overseas suffering does not move us to action. We see these shows, or read a report on world hunger. We see the little children and "how for just $20.00 a month" we can adopt one of these little ones, and we don't. Why? Is it because it takes a lot more now to move our hearts? What about local food closets, local soup kitchens?

11. Sacrificially giving of self has stopped. Not just our financial resources either, but us getting involved in helping with the church and the different ministries. At , where Kay and I are members, one ministry called Young At Heart is helping another ministry by preparing meals every Tuesday night for Celebrate Recovery. Wow, ministries helping other ministries. 

12. Our prayers don’t seem to be going anywhere or making it past the prayer closet. We stopped doing an inventory of our lives, our morals, our relationship with others and especially our relationship with Christ. We have heard Jesus talk about and show us how to forgive and how important it is, however we still come to Him with it in our hearts and wonder why our prayers are going unanswered? Folks I believe we need a revival all right. It needs to start in our hearts today! Until we forgive these folks, they still have all the power over us!

13. We have begun to believe our view of things is better than His. It doesn’t even dawn on us that God could do something incredibly radical in our life at any moment today.  It’s not even on our radar. We believe what we see and quit believing that He can do, or will do what He has promised all through out the Bible. When in fact, we are the ones in the way -- in His way.

14. We have become afraid to share. It's like we forgot what we have read, about Moses (he did not speak very well). God asked him, "Moses who created your voice?" God will not lead us to a place where He hasn't already been and prepared the hearts to hear. Please let go and let God work in us and around us.

15. We have forgotten sometimes we will have to minister to other folks needs first. When we help others, ministering to their needs and allow them to see Jesus Christ through us and in us. We will begin to make a difference again. They have heard us talk long enough, they want to see it. It's not about us! It's about God and His love and His grace and His mercy, giving Him all the honor and glory. It has never been about us, has it?

These are questions and statements I have to remind myself everyday as I do my inventories. I look at the fifth chapter of Galatians and at the fruit of the world or "acts of the flesh" versus the "fruit of the spirit" here is what it says starting in verse 19:

"The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; 20 idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions 21 and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.

 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. 

When we do our inventories, what are we seeing? "Acts of the flesh"? or "fruit of the spirit"? 

These are my views and opinions, and you are welcome to share yours! Remember this: God does love you and so do I.