Privilege or Responsibility?

by Andrew Cromwell

Do you remember those days when you couldn’t wait to get your driver’s license and drive a car? I do. I felt like I had waited all my life to finally get behind the wheel and drive legally. I was happy to drive anytime and to any place. Need a lift? Just call me, I’ll be there (of course it helped that gas was a little cheaper than it is today).

But after a few years, that bright penny had dulled somewhat. And then I had kids (need I say more?). The shine on that penny is plum worn off. Where once the copper gleaned in the sun, now it is green with age. Between the trips to and from school, to and from sports practices, to and from youth groups, and to and from friends’ houses it is fair to say, the thrill is gone baby. Driving is now a bore.

One day a privilege and the next a chore. And there are many things in life that seem to follow that same pattern: work, marriage, home ownership, and on and on. We start fully engaged and loving it, and then little by little, the joy slides into drudgery. And that’s sad.

But what is most sad, I believe, is that this happens with our spiritual life too. God invites us into a relationship with Him. He opens the door for us to have continual conversation with Him at any time and any place (prayer), He welcomes us into the family and invites us to a weekly party (church), and He gives us a roadmap to life (the Bible). 

They are wonderful privileges and most people find great joy when they first discover these gifts and start to use them. But little by little, somehow these privileges are transformed into duties. We stop talking to God because we want to and now only do it because we have to. We stop reading our Bible simply because of the life flow that it gives to us, and instead read it because we are supposed to. And when we fail, we feel guilty.

I’m pretty sure God doesn’t want us to talk to Him just because we have to! Can you imagine if the only reason your kids talked to you was just because they felt an obligation? No good dad would desire that kind of relationship with his kids and our Father in Heaven is certainly no different (since He is the best Father anyway).

So the next time you find yourself approaching God only out of duty, pause and ask yourself why. Perhaps you have bought into a false perception of God that paints Him as someone who demands you to perform so that He will be happy with you. Or maybe it is because you have stopped enjoying your time with Him. 

Whatever the reason, I know from personal experience that sometimes all it takes is a different perspective in order to get back into the place of joy and leave duty behind (or a new set of wheels!).