OCTOBER 17, 2005

RELIGION BY THE POUND
by Pastor George Van Alstine

When I was in seminary, a local bookstore had an annual sale at which they sold some of their used books for 9¢ per pound. You laugh, but I still have a few of those 9¢-per-pound gems on my shelves. They may not do much for my intellectual growth, but they make my library look more impressive, and some of them might even be mistaken for antiques.

Some people seem to feel that spiritual growth is something that can be attained “by the pound.” The more religious activities and exercises they participate in the more pious they feel. If they’re in church every time the doors are open, buy every book the pastor recommends from the pulpit, listen only to the latest Christian pop music, they have a feeling that they’re moving forward in their Christian life.

As believers mature, however, they realize that the quality of their spiritual experiences is more important than the quantity. They stop buying by the pound and become more discerning shoppers investing their time and energy in pursuits that will help them achieve spiritual goals.

Some of the quality choices mature believers make are these:

• They focus their time and energy on experiences that will lead to their goals, rather than scattering them on frenetic religious activities.
  They consciously cultivate their spiritual gifts and use them in service, instead of trying to do every activity that seems spiritual.
• They stretch themselves in challenging situations that will help them grow in their ministry abilities, rather than only following comfortable routines.
• They coordinate their ministry efforts with other believers to maximize impact, share encouragement and help develop each other’s gifts.
• They invest their time and effort in pursuits that have lasting value, rather than those that give only temporary spurts of energy.

Maybe you have reached a spiritual plateau in your life; you feel as if you’re spinning your wheels and going nowhere. It’s probably time for you to think more about the quality of your spiritual experiences than about the quantity. Stop buying your religion by the pound and become a serious, purposeful spiritual investor.