A Day-by-day devotional

June 9, 2023

Driving force

Chronological One Year Bible Reading Plan: 1 Kings 21-22

Scripture of the Day: Ecclesiastes 4:4-8

As a hobby musician, I used to play my instrument only when I could, or feel like it. Practice was a non-existent word in my daily life, until recently. It started with drawing up certain goals, and challenging myself to reach them. Currently, I try to be able to play on a daily basis, even for just a few minutes. What started as a goal became a habit.

Once something becomes a habit, it becomes difficult to break. For this reason, we need to be aware of the habits we are forming. Meanwhile, it could also get to a point where habits could become boring.

Our walk with God should be habitual. Nonetheless, it need not be religious. We should be able to walk our spiritual walk not only as a second nature to us but as who we are. It is to be our life. However, if we allow the element of religiosity, i.e. doing something just so that we get to do it and feel good about ourselves, our walk with God defeats its purpose. Our relationship with God should be centered on God, and us allowing Him to have complete control. If it is only a habit that we do because it makes us feel better about ourselves, we are following God only for religious reasons. Religion is a habit. Relationship, on the other hand, is nature, and nature is inherent.

Although good-forming habits lead to improvement in one‘s inner nature, habits as the driving force for our walk with God should not supersede our relationship with Him. Our walk with God should primarily be due to our love for Him, and not an obligation. We do it out of our own free will because our love for Him drives us. It should not be because we desire to be consistent out of habit or religiosity.

Why exactly, do you do what you do? You have to identify the reasons why you are doing things. There is a famous mantra which says “just do it“. However, I recently heard someone say that we need to go beyond that and know for ourselves the reasons why we are doing it.

In God’s kingdom, if we do what we do just so we can say to ourselves and show others that we are doing it, it loses its meaning. Our first and foremost driving force should be the knowledge of God’s love at work within us. Otherwise, it is all for naught.

Reflection: Have you identified the driving force in your spiritual walk? Are you doing things in God’s kingdom only out of the habit of religion? Or are you doing them due to God’s love for you and your love for Him?

Prayer: Father, may I not feel my spiritual walk becoming mundane. May I not operate only due to habits that I treasure and would never dare break due to feelings of obligation. Help me to be driven by your love. Amen.