Christianity is my hobby

A friend of mine was recently telling me about an instance where he was playing basketball with one of his buddies. They were talking about their weekend plans, when his friend brought up someone he knew, capping the description off with: "You would probably like him. He's a religious guy, kinda like you." As innocent as this conversation sounds, it reveals a critical aspect of the world's view towards those who serve Christ. To them, obeying Christ is a hobby, something we do for fun, just like someone would spend their Saturdays playing golf or their Friday nights playing World of Warcraft. After all, why would anyone spend their time following God if they didn't enjoy it?

While I'll be the first one to tell you a life in service to Christ is the most enjoyable one that exists, it's more than that. Jesus told us in passages such as Luke 21:12, John 15:20, and Matthew 23:34 that our life would be a hard one, oftentimes riddled by persecution. Yet despite these words, Christ's followers garnered massive numbers, and is still going strong today. It's not that thousands of people somehow picked up a hobby, but that they valued the gospel so much that they allowed it to permeate every aspect of their life, despite the slightly unenjoyable parts, such as death.

"If anyone desires to come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me" (Matthew 16:24). As Jesus spoke these words, He did not endorse a favorite pastime of His, but a call to complete commitment to the only true path in life that is worth following. Sadly, this idea of "convenient Christianity" has corrupted the minds of Christians everywhere, convincing them that if they don't have the time today to read their Bible, serve their brother or sister, or pray, it's okay; God wouldn't want to inconvenience them. While I doubt many would deny their faith, few recognize its true value as surpassing all other things in life. God called us to a life, not a hobby.

Brady Cook