More Than Duty Calls
/It’s tempting, in the age of consumerism, to think of religion as a kind of spiritual superstore, selling everything from theology and philosophy to morality and ethics to inner peace and contentment. A kind of “Soul Depot” for the do-it-yourself seeker:
“Lord, here’s my religious duty for the month…now, increase my faith!”
But Jesus calls us to something far deeper and greater than fulfillment of religious duty. Jesus invites us into a relationship, longing for us to fall in love with God whom he calls Father. Commandments and spiritual disciplines have their place in a life of faith, to be sure, and obedience to God’s will is the surest and swiftest way to learn God’s will. But if we limit ourselves to duties and disciplines only, instead of seeing the relationship behind them, we have missed the best part. For Christians everywhere, it is much more than fulfillment of a solemn duty to which Christ beckons us. It is is love calling.