HABIT OR PASSION?

When I get ready in the morning I have a routine, a habit. I do things in a specific order and have for so long that it comes naturally to me. One day, for whatever reason, I forgot a step in my skincare routine. I didn't even realize until I was finishing my makeup and realized my face felt dry. I looked down and sure enough, I hadn't moved my moisturizer. I just went about my routine, not thinking about what I was doing.

Have you ever done something strictly out of habit? Like you're going about your routine or your work on auto-pilot. What about worship? What about your Bible reading?

You slide into the pew on Sunday morning and the band begins to play. You automatically stand up and begin singing. Not really thinking. It's just your normal routine.

You sit down on the couch with your Bible and open to where you left off yesterday. You automatically begin to read. Not really thinking. It's just what you do.

Are you worshiping God out of habit or out of passion? Is it just routine or a desire to have a relationship with your Heavenly Father?

The Lord says: "These people come

near to Me with their mouth and honor

Me with their lips, but their hearts are

far from Me. Their worship of Me is

made up only of rules taught by men.

Isaiah 29:13

God wants His people to worship Him from their hearts with a desire to know Him and serve Him, not just because it's what they've always done or to check it off their list. God is looking at our hearts. He knows our motives. He knows if we are worshiping Him and reading our Bible out of habit or out of a passion.