When relationship becomes routine

When relationship becomes routine

I have routines in my life that I have developed so that I don’t have to think about what I’m doing. At 4:05 my alarm goes off and my routine kicks in. Stumbling out of my room as quietly as I can, I proceed to the kitchen and make coffee and eggs and take my pills and plop into the recliner and read my daily chapter of the New Testament. Then I Read a part of a chapter of the book our men’s group is studying, pray for our compassion kids, (I have a book mark to remind me), pray for Mary my wife, (I have another book mark to remind me). just in case I fall asleep while studying I have a second alarm that goes off at 5:05. Next I make lunch, take another set of pills and head off to work.

Following Jesus is a relationship. I do things in a routine way to maintain that relationship. I want my activities to be routine but I want my relationship to remain vital and alive.

One thing all relationships need to survive and grow is time together.

I recently read that performance kills intimacy. By doing my routine have I morphed from a relationship to performing a routine?

While I am doing the daily things to maintain my spiritual life at a basic level am I losing closeness to Jesus by substituting routine for relationship? How do I keep my relationship alive while I continue to do the stuff that keeps me connected at a base level but that can become an artificial religion.

Do I do the things Jesus requests us all to do?

Keith Green had a song that said “come away come away come away with me my love”. In my head I say “I will do anything for you Jesus!” What, oh, I don’t really want to get up at 4:05 so I can spend time with you, can we just fit some time in between my work and my other stuff?

God says “trust me with your $$” Seriously Jesus I will do anything for you! What’s that? Give you ten percent of my money? I can’t tithe right now. We overspent on our vacation and school supplies are coming up and everything. You understand.

Jesus I will do anything for you! What’s that now? Sunday school needs volunteers? I really need to be in service so I can hear the sermon. I’m not good with kids. I don’t know the Bible that well.

Jesus I will do anything for you! What’s that? My neighbor needs help? I don’t know him that well. I don’t think that he’s a Christian. He listens to some pretty raunchy music. I don’t want to expose myself to that. I’m sure someone else will pitch in and help.

Jesus wants me to spend time with him. He also has tasks for me, tasks for my specific skill set and experiences. Ephesians 2:10 says “For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works which he prepared in advance for us to do.”

God loves me, he loves us. Jesus is the proof and the picture of his love. I was struck recently while in church singing. The rhyme scheme used love and blood. The culture we live in will not make that connection. Gods love displayed in the bloody death of his son. We sing about how God’s love is unfathomable, one song describes it as an ocean without bottom or shore.

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.” Jn 3:16-17 NIV

I kind of rambled a bit today. I’ll sum up.

God wants a relationship not religion or routine. He wants our affection.

He also wants obedience. He wants me to do the things and help the people that he puts in my path.

God loves me – loves us. Jesus is the proof.