1 Samuel 15:22 But Samuel replied: "Does the LORD delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the LORD? To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams.
Religious activities without a heart totally surrendered to God is an empty, vain attempt of worship. Paul instructs us to offer our bodies as a living sacrifice, that this is the only true worship before a Holy God. David provides some sound advice in the Book of Psalms (Psalms 51:16-17). He reminds us that God is not pleased with empty sacrifices, and we should offer our contrite and repentant hearts as the only sincere sacrifice.
A person could do multiple chores for their church, visit shut-ins at home or nursing facilities, teach Sunday school classes, and give over and above to the church's financial support. Still, if one does this without a surrendered heart, shown by simple obedience, it is all a meaningless endeavor to please others around them, but God will not be pleased. Thus, a sacrifice offered apart from adherence to the precepts of the Gospel of Christ Jesus is trying to exert our will over the will of God.
John 15:14: “You are my friends if you do what I command.”
John 14:15: "If
you love me, keep my commands.”
Any relationship we have with someone in this life that we number among our friends will require time spent with that person to get closer to them and get to know them better. In the case of Jesus, it is somewhat the same; we will have to spend time with Him, in prayer, and in His Holy Word, to get to know Him better. Some people find pride in the number of Social media friends list they find themselves on. But, in the end, there will only be one friend's list that is important, and that is the list written down in the "Lambs Book of Life" (Revelation 3:5; Revelation 20:15).
Religious activities should not show our piety and religiousness to those around us; they should lead us to our Lord and Savior, Christ Jesus. Our Lord and Savior suffered all the shame and pain on the Cross of Calvary so we could experience a full life (John 10:10). We are cheating ourselves out of a life of peace, joy, and love when we settle for a set of traditions of what we see as a duty that will dim and dampen us to the reality of His presence in our everyday lives. Instead of just reading the Bible, we should start listening to what God has to say in His Holy Word. We do this through a quieted life of prayer and bible study. God is speaking to all of us; the question is, are we listening.
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