Merriam-Webster defines motion sickness as : sickness induced by motion (as in travel by air, car, or ship) and characterized by nausea. I however have been under a different type of motion sickness. The kind of motion sickness you get from going through the motions. Of living a double life. “Acting” like a christian once or twice a week and spending the rest of the week doing whatever suited me.
A few months ago a friend and I were talking about a song called “The Motions” by Matthew West. In it Matthew talks about how he doesn’t want to go through the motions of life, He wants to totally feel God, live for God, exist for God. He doesn’t want to just take up space on a pew at church once a week. He recognizes a change won’t be easy however he realizes that a life without God in it is nothingness.
It can be scary and seem impossible to get beyond going through the motions.
It’s so easy to stay in the safe comfortable place where you don’t have to feel. When I really listened to that song, I felt sick because I had been doing just that. I would go to church on Sundays, and by Monday I was back to my old ways, putting God in my pocket and only bringing Him back out when I needed something. I was saved so I felt safe I numbed myself and even made excuses for myself. Yes I knew I was sinning but I figured everybody else was too so that made it ok., it kept me from feeling too guilty about it. And it wasn’t like I was a horrible person I mean I gave my tithe, well sometimes, and I always volunteered at the church, well as long as I wasn’t busy or tired and didn’t have other things to do. I’ve been going through the motions in a big way. I’ve realized I was a fake, a phony. If I had had to stand before Jesus even a couple of weeks ago I could not have looked Him in the eye for all the weight of sin and shame that was on my shoulders. When I looked in the mirror I saw the real me. A liar, a cheat, a thief, a gossip, etc. I knew someone who said she couldn’t wait to get to heaven to touch God’s face and I couldn’t agree because the thought of standing before my Heavenly Father did not bring joy and excitement to me it brought fear and trepidation, embarrassment and shame. Suddenly all I could think of was how I’d been living. It was like a punch to the stomach when I started thinking about the fact that God KNEW every single bad thing I’d ever done. He was there when I did things that I am too ashamed to verbalize in public. Things that I felt disgrace for when I did admit them to Him. He was there for every single bad decision I’ve ever made. He was there when I’d make up excuses for the bad decisions by saying that at least I wasn’t as bad as the others. I was so focused on looking at others mistakes, others sins that I wasn’t looking at my own. I complained about not having a close relationship with Him yet I did nothing about it. He opened my eyes and my heart and helped me to discover that in order to really truly know Him and love Him I had to spend time with Him. I have also discovered the more time I spend with Him the more time I WANT to spend with Him. It’s not easy. Things get in the way and make it difficult to find time to study His word, to spend time with just Him. Excuses are so easy to come by when it comes to getting out of spending time with God however He’s made me feel accountable for my life, no longer can I make excuses or pass blame on to others. I now have to answer to Him for any decision I make. I feel the accountability. He’s opened my eyes and heart and made me see that going through the motions in life was getting me no where. It was a cycle of sinning, asking for forgiveness and repeating the sin because I wasn’t truly repentant. Now that I am striving to walk with God I have shame for the things I’ve done, before I knew it was wrong but I didn’t have that hurt that I needed to feel at hurting Him. He sent His son to die for me yet I took it for granted. Hebrews 6:6 really broke me. if they fall away, to be brought back to repentance, because[b]to their loss they are crucifying the Son of God all over again and subjecting him to public disgrace.
God has shown me that there is something a lot better and sweeter than I had experienced or how I’ve been living. A close personal relationship with Him is what I am striving for. I am not there yet but now I know at least that it is attainable. There are going to be hurdles and frustration and temptations and distractions but God remains faithful to us. In
1 Corinthians 10:13 (NIV)
it says:
13 No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.
If we have faith in God he can get us through every hurdle, every temptation everything that faces us, But we have to have that faith in Him and trust Him to do this. We will be rewarded with a closeness to God , a strength and comfort in Him that nothing can compare to.
What if we truly gave everything we had to God? I don’t just mean money and material possessions, but truly gave Him every part of us. Our trust, faith, love, everything!! Devoted ourselves wholly to Him the way He devotes Himself to us. He blesses us now just when we’re here in His house. Every time I come to this church I can feel His presence, His power His strength and His glory. So can you imagine the blessings He would pour over us if we stopped going through the motions and truly submitted to Him?
We can’t continue to go through the motions, of coasting by, we have to step up and although it will hurt, it won’t always be comfortable or easy, we have to have faith in God to deliver us from those things that are trying to separate us from Him. God will remain faithful to us. Jesus said “”I assure you, if you had faith as small as a mustard seed you could say to this mountain, ‘move from here to there,’ and it would move. Nothing would be impossible.”
If we can have that tiny bit of faith in God to deliver us from the things hindering our walk with Him then through Him we can overcome all of the obstacles the enemy puts before us and give the glory to God.
But we have be willing and ready to give all of us to the one who gave it all for us.
Submitted by jax
Thanks.
