I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you to live in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel— which is really no gospel at all. Evidently some people are throwing you into confusion and are trying to pervert the gospel of Christ. But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let them be under God’s curse! As we have already said, so now I say again: If anybody is preaching to you a gospel other than what you accepted, let them be under God’s curse!
Galatians 1: (6-9)
The days are busy with familiar, colourful routines. From the moment we wake up, things are thrown at us: getting ourselves ready, making sure the family know what’s happening, checking work emails. Both planning and implementing home and occupation life takes considerable concentration. And that’s without the other ‘things’, like clicking on news channels and seeing the various challenges facing the communities in which we live. At some point in the midst of that busyness, there’s a fluttering from God to spend time with him. And there’s a danger of making our faith something else. Quickly grab a Bible or scan a devotional app. Read the verses quickly and mumble a prayer of some sort. It’s almost akin to quickly doffing our hats towards the creator before we turn our backs and plough onwards into the day. And then we can start to drum-up heresies to prop up our attempts to live a normal reality. God must make me prosperous. I have a right not to suffer. I don’t have time to speak with that lonely person but God understands that. Religion needs to fit my requirements, not the other way round.
And it just doesn’t work that way. The gospel of Jesus Christ isn’t intended, in the Lord’s own words, for ‘the wise and learned’ but for ‘little children’ who understand the simplicity. God loves us and sent Jesus to rescue us – we are called to respond to him: to love him with our whole hearts and, in his strength, love others. Anything else ‘theological’ and self serving runs the risk of falling foul.
Consider how to slow down your days to ponder on what’s really true and important. Take time with Father. Don’t have a list or questions. Just consider his love.
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