Checklist Christianity

“For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” – Ephesians 2:8-10 (ESV)

I would like to think I have lived a life of faith as a believer, but I can honestly admit that I have also lived driven by works. Somewhere beneath the surface, my walk with God became performance-driven. I believed I had to keep doing more so the Lord would love me more, and it was difficult for me to fully understand the unconditional nature of His love.

Even something I loved, reading the Bible, became a quest for knowledge and information instead of revelation and application. I obsessed over my Bible app streak, checking off another day without truly remembering what I had read or taking time to apply it.

Information matters, but reading God’s Word without truly knowing the God of the Word is tragic. Seeking revelation to share with others is good, but allowing the Word to reveal God to you, and reveal your own heart in the process, is far more powerful. That is how we are transformed to become more like Christ.

My prayer life was no different. It became full of requests and focused mostly on my own needs. I was not always intentional about praying for others, and I often failed to pause long enough to hear what the Lord was saying to me. I would pray, then rush out of His presence.

The amazing thing is that when I did take time to be with Him, my walk with Him was so much stronger. Still, performance anxiety often took precedence. My life had become a cycle of works. I served on just about every church ministry, and I wore it like a badge of honor.

Many believers would be surprised by how easily we can slip into checklist Christianity:

• Read the Word—check.
• Pray—check.
• Go to church—check.
• Serve—check.
• Tithe—check.
• Attend conferences—check.
• Join small group—check.

Check, check, check. We can do these things to feel good about ourselves. I know I did; maybe you don’t (yeah right!)

Works without a faith-fueled, intimate relationship with Jesus can harden us. They can make us prideful and judgmental, blind to the plank in our own eyes while we point out the speck in someone else’s. Works without faith cause us to become boastful in our strength and abilities, but a life of faith glorifies Jesus; we see Him working through us.

Works alone cause us to become self-righteous, full of everything but God. Like a tree covered in leaves but bearing no fruit, we may even begin to mistake our works for fruit. But Scripture shows us what true fruit looks like:

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.” -Galatians 5:22–23 (ESV)

The fruit of the Spirit is about who we become, not simply what we do.

Becoming more like Jesus means following His example. He was sent by the Father to save us by grace through faith, yet He never neglected time with the Father. Jesus performed many miracles, but His life was rooted in obedience and in the desire to see the Father glorified in everything He did.

When I walked by faith and trusted Jesus as though my life depended on it, miracles happened. Faith and works belong together.

Daughters of Fire, allow the Holy Spirit to guide your steps. When you need strength, turn to Jesus. If you are feeling worn out, maybe you have not been spending enough time with Him; or maybe constant striving has drained you.

It is exhausting to keep trying to appear like “Little Ms./Mrs. Jesus Girl.” Take time to care for yourself. Go to the spa. Watch a movie. Go cycling. Consider that gym membership you have been thinking about. Return to the things that once gave you joy, because your Heavenly Father is not a taskmaster.

Ask yourself:

• What did I once love doing that I stopped making time for?
• When was the last time I read a good book?
• Have I lost myself while trying to become who I think God wants me to be?

Remember, we are saved by grace through faith, not by works. You cannot earn your way into heaven by serving in every ministry or sitting on every church committee. Perfect Sunday church attendance doesn’t get you on Heaven’s honor roll. A life of intimacy with Jesus isn’t boring. If you truly love someone, you will want to spend time with them. You will want to get to know them and allow them to get to know you. It’s an honest and loving relationship. You share your heart with each other. You can’t wait to spend time with them. Being with them brings you joy. That’s the life Jesus is inviting you to. A sweet, beautiful, loving close walk with Him, not one that is driven by performance, but a relationship that is grounded in unconditional love.

Daughters of Fire, I’m praying for you, and I love you, but Jesus loves you even more.