Is Christianity Hard?

There's a perception that religion should come naturally to us.  Even though we need to work and put time and effort into other aspects of life like our jobs, school work, errands around the house, paying bills, taking care of ourselves, we sometimes leave our faith off the list.

In our scripture reading for this Sunday (May 8), the Apostle Paul is writing to the Thessalonians and he tells them, "We always give thanks to God for all of you and mention you in our prayers, constantly remembering before our God and Father your work of faith..." - I Thesssalonians 1:2-3a  Your work of faith?  We don't often associate faith with work.

Methodism got its start when some members of the Church of England began meeting in small groups on a weekly basis to read scripture, pray, confess sins, hold each other accountable, and serve the needy.  They believed that in order to have a growing and vital faith in Jesus Christ, they needed to be organized, methodical, and intentional.  Sunday worship alone wouldn't cut it.  They needed something more.  They needed to work at their faith.

Yes, God's love is offered freely to us, but our response to this extravagant love can cost us as we seek to become fully devoted followers of Jesus Christ.  If we feel that we are languishing in our faith, it just might be that we need to wake up an hour earlier than usual and spend that time working on our faith by reading the scripture, prayer, and think through how we are going to offer God's love throughout the day.

At a wedding I conducted yesterday, the couple had chosen Colossians 3 as one of their scripture readings.  This passage focuses on love and it tells us that we are to "put on love" much like we need to put on clothing to begin each day.

I then told the couple that to love in this way means that we need to do the hard work of intentionally preparing to offer God's love to one another on a daily basis.  I didn't share this at the wedding but to carry Paul's analogy a little further, if we don't work on our faith, it would be like if we leave our homes without any clothes on.  What an image!

So, we are to work at our faith and put on love everyday.

Christianity is hard.
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