Don’t you love having a checklist for chores? Of course, I don’t mean that we love having chores to do, but we appreciate having them all listed so that we can mark completed tasks off throughout the day or week. It feels so rewarding at times to check off (or boldly strikethrough) something we’re so happy to have finished and off our shoulders.
Unfortunately, we often come to Scripture and we can look at certain passages as a checklist. We might read texts like Romans 12:9–21, Ephesians 4:25–32, or Colossians 3:5–17 which list godly attributes and some things we should avoid as God’s people and walk away thinking, “I can check off having done some of these things!” However, these should never be viewed as one-time acts that are completed and then we move on to another task. They inform us how to live like Jesus and in accord with God’s will.
These good things become not things we do but a part of who we are! We live compassionately, not just act compassionately. We live humbly, not just do humble acts. We are patient, not just show patience. We love the truth, not just choosing not to tell lies. Godly conduct should never morph into a list of things we feel compelled to checkoff having completed. Godly conduct springs from our hearts that love and seek to honor Christ. Godly conduct becomes a staple in our lives not because we are constantly checking boxes, but because our hearts are aligned with the heart of God to live in His holiness. May we better seek this week to do good!