The 4 Most Important Things

There are many people who make Christianity way too complicated. There is too much to know, believe and memorize. We are told how to dress, live, think and breathe. We must worship in certain ways and raise our children to a certain standard. All of this is exhausting and can easily defeat even the most faithful follower of Jesus.

The Christian life can be narrowed down to a few basics, however. Fundamentals- at least in terms of religion- have gotten a bad name, but it is not necessarily a bad word. There are, I propose, four essentials that all Christians may attend to so that they can continue to live and grow in the Christian life.

• Bible study. Every person who wants to be called by the name Christian needs to be familiar with the “playbook.” The history of our faith (as well as the future), the doctrines of our belief and the pattern for our lives is all found in these 66 books. A time of daily study and reading is important for every believer.
• Prayer. There is nothing more essential to the Christian life than prayer. Just as your relationship with your spouse will falter without regular communication, so will your relationship with God. Be sure to pray daily. Talk to God frequently, throughout the day. And be sure to listen to what he has to say to you as well.
• Fellowship. This is the easiest of all these. Spend time with other followers of Jesus. They will help to inspire you. You will be encouraged to be faithful, to avoid temptation and to deeper levels of commitment and service. You should also be sure that you spend ample time fellowshipping with your Creator in worship.
• Ministry. There is nothing that will accelerate your growth in faith more quickly than being involved in ministry. This could mean that you participate in a mission trip with others, that you volunteer for a new position at church, or that you share your faith with someone at work. In any case you will find that God will use you and your faith will be stretched.

Spend some time on your spiritual life this month. Do the “Four Most Important Things.”