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OCTOBER 1, 2010
THE REMEDY FOR RELIGION
How great are your works, O Lord, how profound your thoughts! (Psalm 92:5, NIV)
I’m on the list to receive regular emails from a nearby golf course. They actually do a very nice job of
reminding us of their presence with stories from the game and tips to improve.
This week’s email included mention of a Golf Digest study that showed why most who quit golf give up: they
aren’t getting any better.
It occurred to me that this is the same reason most people quit religion. They aren’t getting any better. After these many months (or years), they’re still cussing in front of the kids, still drinking too much after
Friday’s round, still keeping secrets from their spouse, still talking behind their neighbors’ backs, still cutting corners on their taxes. In other words, they’re still sinners. And
the motivation to keep fighting that miserable condition dips lower each week as their pastor gives another “get your act together” message from the pulpit.
Here’s the deal. Duty turns to delight when the object of our actions is infinitely worth it to us. If we keep
focusing on us and our behavior, we’ll just end up frustrated. But if we focus on the “awesome God” we sing about in our weekend services, we increase our affection for the One who can
truly motivate us. We can’t help it; He is that great!
When we change diapers and spoon food and laugh at the spot of vomit on our shoulder and endure sleepless nights, we
don’t do it out of love for the work. We do it out of love for the tiny child, who quite mesmerizingly glows in our sight. Our affection for the little one carries us through some demanding times.
No wonder religion has no lasting hold on us. Not when it’s about doing, doing, doing. In fact, if you think your
life is already busy, and you have no chance of keeping up, consider the effects of lesson after lesson about how we need to do this new thing and that. We’ll never get there. Not in spirit and not
in action.
But show me God. Show me Him great and mighty, show me His creativity and His faithfulness, His broad brush strokes and
His minute details. Show me His wisdom, show me His love, show me His faithfulness, show me His sacrifice. Cast Him as large as He truly is, and suddenly all my efforts seem so right and so easy.
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Jeff Hopper
October 1, 2010
Copyright 2010 Links Players International
The Links Daily Devotional appears Monday-Friday at www.linksplayers.com.
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