Zechariah Chapter 7. Am I living out my faith?
The people of God were so concerned about their spiritual practice of fasting that they sought the Lord on whether or not they should continue their time of fasting during the 5th and 7th month of the year. My first response was that is commendable. I fast on occasions but the amount of time they fast makes my walk with the Lord look weak. But then I see that God is not impressed with how much they fasted because their hearts were far from the Lord. They sounded spiritual because they were asking about fasting, but putting their faith into practice toward God and others was far from their heart's desire.
Following the Lord Jesus is more than just fasting, going to church, praying in the morning and evening. It's even more than reading your Bible and memorizing Scripture daily (James 1:22). It's about putting your faith into practice. It's about obedience to the Lord's call on our lives. It's about loving God and others.
Nobody wants to hear about how great my fasting is, or how great my Bible reading and Bible memorization is. They want to see a transformed life in me that's loving and obeying God while loving others…sacrificially!
So answer these questions:
1. Are you devoting time to the Lord?
2. Are you devoting time and love to the needy?
3. Are you too busy with yourself?
God was not impressed with the Israelites' spiritual practices, he certainly won't be impressed with our “spiritual” practices either if we're not living it out.