Is there anything wrong with reading your Bible every day? Of course not.
Is there anything wrong with wanting to pray every day? Of course not.
But here’s what some of us do: We come up with a contract—a plan of action that we think will make us better Christians and produce fruits of godliness in our lives. Then we get pretty proud of ourselves when we stick to the contract. We start to compare ourselves to others and feel better because we are “godlier” since our faith is being supplemented by so many spiritual exercises.
It’s a workout. But is it working out?
Then there are those of us who have made up a contract and realize that everyone else in the world could probably keep this contract except us. So we suck it up, make a new spiritual New Year’s resolution, and try again (or just finally give it up because, deep down, we know we stink at contracts). So each morning, we count up the number of failures from the day before, and pretty soon, we feel like the bottom turd in the manure pile of spiritual immaturity.
Whether we’re proud of ourselves or beating ourselves up doesn’t matter. Contracts with ourselves never end well. The end is either self-righteousness or self-condemnation. The same thing is missing from both scenarios—Jesus—faith, trust, and intimacy with Jesus who alone can lead us in the dance.
By saying we need to supplement our faith with works and contracts, what we are really saying is that Jesus isn’t enough.
“I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.” (John 6:35)
Jesus is enough. He becomes more than we could ever imagine when we say no to contracts and walk with Him by faith moment by moment, song by song.
Jesus, I know You are enough. I have this memorized but not internalized. I’m shredding the contract—whatever deal I’ve made with myself, I’m ripping it up. It’s just You and me. And that’s exactly enough. Now… lead me, please… Amen.