“The best way to grow close to God is to read your Bible each day.” “Good Christians should pray daily.” “If you really love God, you’ll serve at your church.”

These are all common beliefs held by modern-day Christians on how followers of Christ should behave in their everyday lives. And, as a preface, I want to clarify that there is absolutely nothing wrong with any of these things (so bear with me!) Each of the listed actions are all incredible ways of growing closer to God, and Christians should make an effort to do all of them as frequently as possible. However, it sometimes seems that these devotions have become rituals that Christians must perform in order to be ‘good’ in God’s (or their own) eyes. These actions bleed us dry of any true faith and religion, and make Christians a stereotype throughout the world.

Ritualizing Christianity

I know of a church near me where it seems that all girls must wear skirts, Mass must be attended daily, and discussion of different beliefs is not tolerated. The definition of faith held by the parishioners of this church is so starched and crippling that there is no room for any love in their day-to-day lives. Individuals of beautiful, powerful faith attempting to participate in this church have been snubbed and shut down. This is not love–it is a series of rituals meant to glorify us in our own eyes. And I think all Christians are guilty of this to some extent. For example, have any Protestant readers heard of the debate that Catholics believe they can be saved through their works? While this isn’t true of the overarching faith, I think it can be applied to different individuals. Some people seem to believe that how much time they spend with their Bible, or serving in church, is equivalent to how good of Christian they are. If Catholics don’t pray a Rosary daily, then they are not ‘up to snuff’. If Protestants don’t spend thirty minutes a day with their Bible, then they don’t really love God. Take it or leave it–in every denomination of Christianity, we are all tempted to believe that ‘what we do’ makes us a better or worse Christian. 

It is from these beliefs that Christians ‘ritualize’ Christianity. I am incredibly guilty of this. A few years ago, I was convinced that I needed to read my Bible in the morning, write in my journal, pray a Rosary, spend another fifteen minutes praying throughout the day, and then pray before I went to sleep. Now, perhaps this routine sounds completely acceptable to you. And it isn’t necessarily a bad routine. The harmful part was the mindset with which I approached it. You see, I didn’t actually give much time and attention to these prayers. I didn’t care about reading my Bible–I just did it so that I felt like I’d done something for God. If I missed my prayers, or didn’t pray long enough, then I wasn’t a good Christian. Have any of you had similar experiences with your own devotions? The problem is, we aren’t living our faith. We’re using it to satisfy our doubts, and to quiet that tiny voice that whispers “you haven’t done enough.” But what if we ignored that voice and focused on truly living our faith for Christ? 

Living Christianity

Jesus asked us to make Disciples on this earth. He never asked us to pray for hours a day, or to get so caught up in the minute details of our devotions that we don’t give any attention to the other parts of our life. If we aren’t truly living our faith, and living for Christ, we can’t truly be lights to the world. 

So what does God ask us to do? How can we honestly live our faith and grow in relationship with God?

The answer to these questions, I believe, is both simple and difficult. God wants us to do what we can, where we can, as we are. It looks different for each person during each season of their lives. For instance, I know a devout individual who prays and reads their Bible for one to two hours a day, aside from prayer with others. They get so much out of this devotional time, and really seem to enjoy it. This routine fits perfectly with who this person is–a person of prayer–doing what they can in their life. 

Contrast this example with my current spiritual life, and the difference is a big one. I’m currently struggling through several mental health difficulties, and some days I hardly even have the energy to pray. I haven’t picked up my Bible in weeks because I just don’t have the mental capability at the moment. And though sometimes I feel like I’m not doing enough, I’ve come to this conclusion: sometimes, all God is asking me to do is get out of bed, make myself breakfast, and do my school. Sometimes all He requires is that I unload the dishwasher without being asked, and then take a break and read my favorite book. He calls us to different devotions during each season of our lives. And it’s okay that, right now, I’m not really capable of praying for an hour plus each day. He just wants me to live for Him and live well. 

How to Decide

So how do you know what God is calling you to do during this season of your life? How can you tell what devotions are rituals and make sure you’re still giving your all in your relationship with Jesus?

There is no ‘one size fits all’ answer, because every person is different. However, here are some things I suggest considering in order to evaluate if your devotions are actually strengthening your faith:

• Is this devotion causing me stress? (I.e., do you feel like you can still complete school, hang out with friends, and fulfill your responsibilities while maintaining this devotion?)
• Do you find yourself zoning out during this devotion? Or, when you conclude it, do you find yourself forgetting what you read/did?
• Do you feel like this devotion is straining your relationship with God rather than encouraging it?

If you answered ‘yes’ to any of the above questions, consider drawing back on the time you allot to this devotion, or try changing it up. Pray through a Psalm instead of trying to get through Leviticus. Journal your takeaways from your Bible reading, or skip the journaling altogether if it’s part of your regular devotion. Try praying outside, and let yourself have a conversation with God instead of simply rattling off a list of prayers. 

There are an infinite number of ways to vary your devotions and draw closer to God.  Don’t be ashamed if you need to drop something–or add something–in order to fully live your faith. Ask God how He would like you to approach your devotions, and don’t compare yourself to other people. Just do what you can, where you can, as you are, and trust that God will do the rest.