Being Casual

Being Casual

Bible:Malachi 1:6-14

“When you bring injured, lame or diseased animals and offer them as sacrifices,
should I accept them from your hands?” says the Lord (V.13).

Reading

“I am not pleased with you.” This was God’s stinging rejection of His people through the words of Malachi (MALACHI 1:10). God was angry with their careless, ‘casual’ and half-hearted way of living for Him. The animals they brought for sacrifice were not acceptable to Him because they were not the best of the herds and flocks. Instead, they offered Him stolen, lame and sick
animals (V.13). What about us? What does our life with God look like? Are we giving Him
the best of all that we are? Are we loving Him as the very centre of who we are? Or are we getting a bit casual and complacent towards Him? Are things cooling off between us and God? A friend of mine said something really challenging to me the other day: “When I shop for simple stuff like new music, I hardly think about it. But when I’m looking for a new smartphone, I shop very carefully. I browse online, read reviews, watch videos and compare specs for hours to make sure I get something that’s just right for me.” Then she added, “I should pay that same attention when I am living for God. But sometimes I approach Him as casually as if I were just buying a packet of crisps on the way home from school.” When we’re singing about God at church, we might not always give Him our full attention. When we’re praying, our minds often wander. When we’re doing life, maybe we don’t think about God all that regularly. A life of worship—the kind of life that we’re made to live—is about focusing on God in all that we do! When we give Him all that we are, we won’t slip into casual Christianity.

CASUAL CHRISTIANITY FORGETS
JUST HOW GOOD IT IS TO BELONG TO GOD!

YouTh Edition – Our Daily Bread Ministries