Clutter-Free Christianity

You are worried and bothered about so many things; but only one thing is necessary.

–Luke 10:41–42

In today’s world, Christianity has become increasingly complicated. We have cluttered the essence of Christianity with secondary concerns.

For example, some people would say the essence of the Christian life is correct theology–if you can articulate the right set of beliefs, then you will please God. Now, theology is very important. That’s why we just spent eleven weeks studying the foundational beliefs of the Christian faith. You can’t have right behavior without right belief. But when we get to heaven, is God going to pass out blue books and ask us to diagram the end times or write an essay about the relationship between God’s sovereignty and human freedom? Of course not! Christianity is more than articulating the right set of facts.

Other people think the essence of the Christian life is embracing the right social causes. These Christians quote James 2:26: “Faith without works is dead.” So they focus on eliminating poverty and AIDS in developing nations; fighting abortion, stem cell research, or homosexual marriage; or taking up a thousand other cultural causes. Yes, it’s important to stand up for the truth. But in the New Testament, which was written during the most decadent period in human history, did Jesus, Paul, and the apostles call us to be culture warriors above all else? No.

The Christian landscape has become so cluttered with secondary issues that we’ve missed the main issue. In Luke 10:41–42, Jesus said to His friend Martha, “You are worried and bothered about so many things; but only one thing is necessary.” Could it be that one reason we as Christians are so ineffective in this world is that we’re focusing on too many things and forgetting the one necessary thing?

Let me guess: You’re interested in building a life that pleases God. You want to know what God really wants for you and from you so that one day you’ll hear the words “Well done, good and faithful servant!” (Matthew 25:21 NIV). If that’s true, then it’s time to cut through the clutter of Christianity and focus on what really matters. The essence of the Christian life is a changed life that comes from a changed heart–a heart that loves God fully and loves other people as ourselves.

Today’s devotion is adapted from “What God Desires from You” by Dr. Robert Jeffress, 2008.

Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. www.lockman.org; Scripture quotation marked (NIV) is taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com.