Going Through the Motions

Matthew West has a new song out entitled “The Motions”. If you like Contemporary Christian music this is a good song. It is sticking with me and has caused me pause. The chorus is a plea.

“I don't wanna go through the motions; I don't wanna go one more day without Your all consuming passion inside of me. I don't wanna spend my whole life asking, what if I had given everything, instead of going through the motions?"

Maybe we should all pause and think about that for a while. Do we approach our Christian lives with all consuming passion? Or do we simple go through the motions?

In Romans we see 12:11 Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord.

And in Galatians 4:18 It is fine to be zealous, provided the purpose is good, and to be so always and not just when I am with you.

I don’t know about you, but this is a challenge for me; to approach everything with passion and zeal. With good purpose and out of gratitude for all that has been done for me, to do more than simply go through the motions. Maybe that is a call for us all; approaching this life we are given with passion and zeal, serving our Lord with passion and zeal, and giving our all just as our Savior gave us His all.

J. C. Ryle wrote about Zeal and I recently stumbled across it. It is a fitting reminder for us all;

“It may be true that wise young believers are very rare. But it is just as true that zealous old believers are also very rare. Never allow yourself to think that you can do too much--that you can work too hard and long for the cause of Christ. For every man that does too much I will show you a thousand who don't do enough. Instead think that "Night is coming, when no one can work." (John 9:4). Give, teach, visit, work, and pray as if you were doing it for the last time. Take to heart the words of a zealous Christian, who said, when told that he ought to rest a little, "What should we rest for? Don't we have all eternity to rest?”

Why should we rest? I know I have been prooftexting a bit, but I am reminded in Colossians 3:23 Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men.

Father, may we all work at it will all our heart, with an all consuming passion, with the zeal that You deserve not because we can earn anything, but because of Your love for us!

Grace and Peace!