I definitely agree that service can get in the way of our relationship with God. I believe this is because we get caught up in the act of doing something good. We may recognize that something is important and it may be a really great thing, but if we do it in a way that distracts us from our relationship with Jesus, or we do it for the wrong reasons it ceases to be a good thing.
An example of when that line is crossed could be a worship leader. They may get so caught up in the act of leading worship and all the responsibilities that it entails that they don’t take the time to worship God. Another example could be organizing an event. It is so easy to get caught up in the details or results that we lose sight of why we started something in the first place (to please God).
I think sometimes we just want to check something off our check list and don’t evaluate the reason behind it, or where our heart is. It seems we often justify putting our relationship with Jesus on hold by saying, “We’re serving the kingdom and ultimately that’s what God wants right?” Wrong. God desires a personal relationship with us; that’s why He sent His son to die on the cross. So while I believe acts of service are a very important part of serving God, if we don’t have the right attitude and priorities it loses its value. But more importantly, if it causes our relationship with God to struggle then there’s no point. We need to strive to serve the Lord yes, but we need to keep our eyes on Him through it all.
What are some good ways to balance serving God and maintaining a good relationship with Him?
How do we recognize when our spiritual life becomes a check list? And when we do, how do we get back on track?
Great thoughts! I think that you understood the reading very well. I also really like your questions. However, I would challenge you to get away from the idea of "balance," as if you have to choose between a relationship with God and serving Him. In my opinion, it is not either/or. Service automatically comes out of relationship.
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