Oftentimes, the competitive nature of our world seeps into the church. Brothers and sisters begin to believe they are competing for positions of influence rather than working together for the souls of broken people. In such environments, it’s easier to get off course than when building one another up is the norm (1 Thessalonians 5:11). God has a specific task for you. He uniquely wired you with gifts to further establish His kingdom. You don’t have to compete because nobody can do you like you. Come home. The Lord is preparing a feast. You belong at the table.

As the years roll by, God’s children can slip into patterns of behavior that, mostly unbeknownst to them, lead to a place absent of the heart and mission of God. It’s subtle, like the dripping of a faucet. Little by little, their eyes veer from the path of righteousness and wholehearted devotion to Jesus. The world and its desires distract even the most faithful and committed followers. If you find yourself in a similar season, here are some thoughts to help you course correct.

First, Jesus’ offer of resurrection life is still available to you. Your wandering heart has not barred you from the kingdom. Christ’s affectionate gaze is as determined and fixed on you now as the day you first surrendered to him. So, come home. He will once again embrace you in his arms.

Second, your possible lack of gratitude for Christ’s death on your behalf does not negate the truthfulness and absolute completeness of his work. Our feelings, though important, are often terrible guides when discerning truth. Whether or not you feel anything at this particular moment, Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection remains the sweetest, best, and most promising news in the history of the world.

Third, the good gifts of life that all too often lead us off course are better enjoyed when we receive them with thanksgiving. Lately, these gifts for me have been beer, baseball, and bicycles. I call them the killer B’s. None are inherently bad; yet, if I overindulge in any of them, my focus and heart posture toward Jesus becomes less evident to myself and those around me.

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