Practical Atheist

I have been being challenged in my life over the past few months with my spiritual lifestyle. A message that I heard from Craig Groechel called "Practical Atheist" describes it best. A practical atheist is someone who believes that God exists but does life as if God does not exist. In my life as a pastor it can best be described this way it's a minister who believes that God exists but does ministry as if God does not exist. To often my prayer life had become when I prayed on Sunday nights or Wednesday nights before I spoke to the youth or when I was expected to or my devotional life would be my preparation study for a message or a talk. My ministry had become what I do at church and that's it. Bill Hybels once said, "that the way I was doing the work of God was destroying the work of God in me." You see I have become a full time pastor but a part time lover of God. My life is described in Isaiah 29:13 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." On the outside I was honoring God but in my heart I was far from Him, just going through the motions. I was checking out Matthew West's website, especially the site linked to his song "The Motions." On that site he writes "I know what a "Christian" should say. I know how to act. I know how to put up a spiritual front, even if I'm not passionately seeking God. That was the inspiration behind my song, "The Motions". I was tired of settling for a stale faith. God is a God of PASSION. His true plan for our lives is anything but boring. Every day, The God of adventure beckons his sons and daughters to quit going through the motions, and walk into a life filled with passion and wonder." In verse 14 of Isaiah 29 it says "Therefore once more I will astound these people with wonder upon wonder". This is what I want, I want to once again be passionate about my relationship with Christ, I want to be passionate about reaching people with the gospel, I want to be passionate about prayer, I want to be passionate about living for Christ everyday. I want Philippians 1:20,21 to be true once again. I want to be a full time lover of God. I do not want to go through the motions and I am writing this and sharing this because I want others to hold me accountable. I want others to join me in not letting practical atheism describe our lives anymore. If you read this I ask you to please pray for me but I also ask you to evaluate your life and ask yourself am I a "Practical Atheist?"