Why has Christian Living Become an Obligation?

The other day I had an experience that God used to show me something. Friday (4-9-10) morning when I went out to the car, I got in and I tried to start it but when I tried to start it the battery was completely dead. I got out of the car and I noticed a lady parked behind me in her car, so I walked up to her window and asked if I could get a jump; she said ok. The lady was a very nice lady and I could tell that she had a loving heart, as I was jumping my battery she engaged me in conversation she was asking me questions and also sharing with me some of her thoughts on her mind and the whole experience was very pleasant. After I was finished she had revealed to me that she was a Jehovah’s Witness, and she started sharing with me her faith and I started to share with her my faith and beliefs, and even though we have different belief systems, in the end we were able to be a blessing to each other from that experience.

So, I get in the car and I drive to the nearest to a Wal-mart to get a new battery installed. I pull into the parking lot, shut the car off, walk into the store only to find out that their auto service center is no longer in operation. As I come back out and get into the car and try to start it, it will not start; the battery is dead once again. I try asking people for a jump but no one seems to have the time, so as I was walking back around to the side of the building where no one was parked I see a Church of Christ van that is turning around by my car. In my mind I know that this is an angel from heaven sent to this desolate spot in the parking lot to bail me out. I walk up to the van, arms waving, the driver gives me a strange and almost disgusted look as he rolls down his window and I ask if I could get a jump because my battery is dead. He hesitates for a while and finally mumbles yes under his breath. He gets out of the van and gives me a jump and that’s it. We had no friendly conversation, nothing. He didn’t even share his name yet alone his faith in the Christ that was plastered on the side of his van.

Later on in the day as I was telling my wife about the experience God shared with me that the lady who was the Jehovah’s Witness did the favor out of love and the guy in the church van did it out of obligation.

So why as Christians have we been practicing our faith in Christ out of obligation instead of out of love? We have been doing this because we still have the mindsets of servants instead of Sons. When I say the word Sons I’m not referring to male or female but rather the descendants of God. We have been taught that we are servants to God. Indeed we do serve God and each others, but we are to serve out of love. When we renew our minds to the fact that we are Sons of God then the service that we do comes from a different perspective.

Just take for example when you do something for a family member, most of us usually do it because we love that family member. Now let’s take for example when you go to work and complete a project, most of us complete the project because we are obligated too and because we’re doing it so we get our paycheck. As a follower of Christ we ought to live like we are Sons of God and not out of a mindset that we are obligated to live this way. Everything that God gives us; His blessings, grace, mercy etc… He gives it to us freely out of love and not obligation. Once a person lives out of Son-ship instead of servant-ship than a person’s entire attitude will be transformed.

Daryle Houston II
Kingdom Vizion Ministries
www.kingdomvizion.org