Seven Activities of a Committed Christian

As committed followers of the Lord Jesus Christ we want to be sure that we are doing what we need to do to become who we need to be for the honor and glory or our Lord. But it can be a difficult thing to measure our success as we strive to improve our spiritual life.

We often view our Christianity in rather nebulous terms such as “Christian maturity”, “ Christlikeness”, “Growth in the Faith”, or simply to “be a better Christian”. But to make sure that we are actually going where we need to as believers, we need a framework, a method of measurement. After all, our spirituality is certainly important enough to us to deserve SMART Goals.

To help you with that, here is a simple framework composed of the activities that a committed Christian needs to be doing on a regular basis. For each of these seven areas you can set goals that are specific, measurable, action-oriented, relevant, and time-bound (SMART Goals).

So, set some simple goals, set up your tracking, and begin to make measurable improvement on these seven foundational activities of a Christian.

 

#1. Daily Devotion. There is nothing more important to your spiritual life than to maintain connection with the Almighty. A daily “quiet time”, devotional time, or whatever you term it is the foundational principle that keeps your relationship with Christ vibrant and strong. Just like any other relationship with another person, your relationship with the Lord requires regular time together, being open and honest, and enjoying one another’s companionship. So every day we need a scheduled time to spend in prayer and Bible reading.

It doesn’t have to take a long time, but it needs to be consistent. And it’s easy to set goals and keep up with your tracking; just set an amount of Scripture (perhaps one chapter each day), a certain amount of time in prayer (start with 5-10 minutes and build from there), and set the days of the week (such as Monday through Friday). However you arrange it remember that this is the single most vital element of your spirituality and Christianity: developing a companionship with the Lord God.

(Here are the other six in no particular order; they are all important.)

 

Worship Attendance. The Bible is clear in God’s commandment to not forsake the assembling of ourselves together (Hebrew 10:25). We need to gather with other Christians and worship our Lord. There is something encouraging, strengthening, and blessed of the Spirit when God’s people come together in fellowship with one another and with the Lord as well. And while personal, private worship is good, and watching services on TV or internet has its place, there is no substitute for gathering together in the Name of Jesus and worshipping our God. So, how many Sundays per month are you going to attend your Church’s worship services?

 

Small Group Attendance. Sunday School, Small Group, Cell Group, whatever you call it, gathering and connecting with a handful of likeminded believers is an important part of your Christian life. Unlike corporate worship, in a small group setting you can enjoy a more intimate meeting, be able to share insights with one another, everyone gets an opportunity to minister to others, and form close bonds of friendships that can last a lifetime.

So a small group setting provides two important functions. It is a great vehicle for discipleship training, teaching, and Bible study, but it is also a great way to enjoy Christian fellowship and build relationships.

I can tell you as a pastor for over thirty-five years that I’ve learned it is the relationships built among the members of a Church that determine whether a person stays in a Church or not. A Church may have stellar programming, the best choir, most dynamic preaching, and all the rest, but if a person never connects with the people there, they remain a stranger among strangers. Six months later they drop out.

But a person will put up with mediocre ministry, second rate facilities, and many other less than stellar elements as long as they believe that when they come to Church they will be among friends. We need one another. We need a deeper connection. We need Christian friends, and we find them in a small group.

 

Service. Every Christian has been given a Spiritual gift, talents, skills, abilities, influence, and opportunities for being of service to God and our fellow man. Every member of the Body of Christ has a purpose and use for building up the Kingdom of God, and He didn’t give us all that to just sit on the sidelines. Nor is it healthy for a person to always receive and never give in return; that’s consumerism, not Christianity. And so finding one’s place of service helps us keep balance. And the Lord blesses us when we serve others, minister to other’s needs, support and love them. We also feel good when we can help others just as we have been helped. It’s just as the Bible says; it is more blessed to give than to receive.

So find and fill your place of service in His Kingdom. Discover and develop your spiritual gift(s), and work together with your Lord and fellow believers to build your own personal ministry. Freely you have received, now freely give (Matthew 10:8).

 

Tithing. Everything costs money, and ministry is no exception. Your Church needs your financial support and you need to give it. The benefits for you are two-fold.

For one thing, you will be a better and more loyal Christian, Church member and worker when you are invested in something you believe in. And this is important work we’re doing. We are not involved in a two-dollar show every Sunday, but in a life-changing ministry raised up and blessed of God. So our giving reflects how much we believe in our mission, how committed we are to seeing success, and whether or not we can be counted on as a quality believer and worker.

The other reason tithing is important is because the Bible teaches us the importance of the Firstfruits. The firstfruits (first part of any harvest or increase) determine the ownership of the whole. They were like a kind of “earnest money” or down payment that proved ownership of the entire amount. When you tithe to God your firstfruits you commit the whole 100% into His hands. And He can always do more in our lives with the leftover 90% than we ever could by keeping the entire 100% for ourselves. So make Him Lord of your personal finances.

Also, think of your tithes as Kingdom Taxes. And you get a lot of bang for your buck in the Kingdom of God!

Or think of it in terms of seed that is sown, which God has guaranteed to multiply. No sowing financial seeds; no reaping financial harvest. But the more you sow (give), the more you reap (God’s provision). It’s a beautiful thing. Put it to the test; you’ll find God is faithful.

You know you can’t out-give God, that you need His blessing on your personal finances, that your local ministry needs your financial support, and that God blesses generosity wherever He finds it. So for everyone’s sake, pay your tithes. You’ll be glad you did.

 

Bring Others. Every Church member needs to actively seek to bring others into their Christian circles. Bring them to the party. Bring them to the events. Bring them to Church, to Worship or to your small group. Ultimately your goal is to bring them to Christ.

Set a goal for who you will invite, how often you will invite someone, how often you will pray for them, and track how responsive they are as well. Remember those blessed souls that prayed for you, invited you to Church, befriended you, got you to come hang around Christian friends, shared the Gospel with you, and rejoiced when you came to know the Lord? God bless them for sharing the love of Jesus with you! Now go do that for others.

 

Live a Holy Life. God commands, “Be Holy, for I am Holy”. (Leviticus 11:44, 1 Peter 1:16). To be holy is to be set apart for God’s ownership and purposes. In simple terms it means living a clean, moral, ethical life that displays the character of Christ.

We know whether or not we are living a holy life before the Lord because the Holy Spirit has no problem bringing conviction of sin to our conscience when we are not. He has every right to command, demand, and expect that His children, His citizens, His ambassadors, representatives, and members of the Body of Christ live in such a way as to bring honor and glory to Him, not shame and embarrassment.

So do your Church, family, co-workers, and neighbors have the right to expect yo to conduct yourself in a manner befitting the title “Christian”. If you wear the name of “Christian”, then where you go, He goes. His reputation is bound to yours. Make Him proud, not ashamed by the way you live, speak, and act.

Well there you have them, the seven fundamental activities of a committed Christian.

Daily Devotion, Worship attendance, Small Group attendance, Service, Tithing, Bringing others, and Holy living. As we measure, track, and make plans and goals for these, we can guarantee that we will grow as Believers and become more Christlike year after year. May the Lord bless us as we strive to be more like Christ.

God Bless

~Johnny