WHAT'S YOUR HOBBY?

HOBBY - [hob-ee] - noun, an activity or interest pursued for pleasure or relaxation and not as a main occupation: like wood carving or stamp collecting.

"For millions of Christians, nevertheless, God is no more real than he is to the non-Christian. They go through life trying to love an ideal and be loyal to a mere principle. They have never bothered to think the matter [of God] out for themselves, but have heard about him from others, and have put belief in Him into the back of their minds along with various other odds and ends." A.W. Tozer

For many of us, God is a hobby and nothing more. We have reduced our relationship with the God of the universe down to a comfortable and cliche belief in him that lacks both love and devotion. Our tolerant culture today has made belief in God no different that one's preference for drinking coffee. "Some like God and some don't we say," and whatever your case may be, that's fine as long as it works for you. Those who do choose to acknowledge God, like Him made to order, just like our mochas, so he can fit comfortably into our busy schedule and be there to relax us when we're in need.

Notice how Tozer said MILLIONS live this way. He's not just talking about about one or two people, he's saying that the majority of people who claim to believe in God live like this. That means that you and I need to take a good hard look at our view of God and the devotion with which we follow him. Is our devotion limited by convenience, practicality and our own selfishness or are we really throwing aside all hindrances and running hard after God like Hebrews 12:1 talks about.

Jesus said is Matthew 16:25 that, "Whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it." It doesn't sound like he's asking for a hobby-like commitment to me? The real question is how can we treat the God who gives us life each day and allows us to live completely free from all sin and guilt like a hobby? That just doesn't sound right, and it isn't. God tells us in the book of revelation that the lukewarm believer who rides the fence when it comes to really following makes him sick with vomit.

The Christian life and belief in God is no hobby. It was never meant to be. If If we want to find joy, peace, and fulfillment in this life, we must value following God, loving him, and growing in our faith above all else. Will God for you become more than a set of good ideals and principles? I hope that you'll make following God your main occupation today.