The Check Mark Mentality

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I love our pastor's sermons. They are truly phenomenal, which means I usually spend my Sunday morning in a constant state of laughter and tears. While our pastor tells hilariously anecdotes, he is also very real and human. And his raw emotion oftentimes leave me reflecting on myself, hence the tears.

But I also love when we have guest speakers. I love that they have a completely different way of preaching and teaching. I love that God uses them to also evoke strong emotions in me, too.

This past Sunday, one of my favorite guest speakers came to our church. Brother Jeremy is a people person. He loves people and he loves to see them saved. It's evident by the way he interacts with others.

What I always love about his visits is that he reminds me how often I make my Christian walk harder than it has to be. And I'm sure you do the same thing sometimes.

Brother Jeremy calls it 'The Check Mark Mentality'. Did I pray today? Check. Did I read my Bible? Check. Did I do my devotions before bed? Check.

You get the general idea. Sometimes, we find ourselves tracking our progress based on check marks instead of focusing on what God commands us to do: love Him wholeheartedly and love our neighbors the same.

There are days where I'm unable to devote large amounts of time to reading my Bible. Naturally, we all have "Life Happens" moments. I love reading and I love studying, but there are busy seasons of life where I find myself unable to spend a lot of time in God's Word. It really bothers me. And so I begin going over my checklist. Did I pray today? Check. Did I do my devotions? Check. Did I do one act of kindness for a stranger? Check. Did I read my Bible? No check.

What follows that empty box isn't pretty. I beat myself up. I get cranky. I start to get worn out. But then I remember that God is, and always has been, more concerned about my love for Him and others than He is about the check list I mentally go over to track my progress.

“Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” (Matthew 22:36-40)

Don't get caught up in "The Check Mark Mentality." Instead, focus on loving and obeying God. God values the fruits of the spirit--"love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23)--far more than He does your check list for living the Christian life prosperously.

Friend, God loves you. And with His love, comes a myriad of grace. When you falter, don't refer to your check list. Instead, open your Bible and read story after story of God's faithfulness to people just like you.

--Jessica