Since Jesus gave you everlasting life by simply believing in Him (John 3:15-16, 36; Eph 2:8-9), what should you be doing with all your free time? You don’t need to be earning, keeping, or securing your eternal salvation—so that eliminates 99% of what usually passes for religious activity in the world—so what kinds of things should you be doing in your Christian life?
Should you practice centering prayer?
Venerate icons?
How about making sure to follow elaborate liturgical cycles with feast days and fast days?
Or—hitting closer to home—should you be working on reading through that 32nd book of systematic theology?
No?
Then what should you be doing?
I found this quote from Luther in Tuomo Mannermaa’s Two Kinds of Love: Martin Luther’s Religious World.
Except for faith, we must direct all our works to our neighbors. That is, God does not demand of us any works intended to serve God Godself, but solely faith through Christ. This is sufficient to God, and therefore we honor God as the One who is gracious, merciful, wise, good, truthful, etc. Therefore, think only to do to your neighbor what Christ has done to you, and let all your works and your whole life serve your neighbor. Find out where the poor, the sick, and all kinds of needy people are, and help them. Put your life in practice there; let those who need you enjoy you, as much as you can, and do this with your body, property and honor (Quoted in Mannermaa, Two Kinds of Love, p. 67).
It’s a theme I keep coming across, and I find it convicting (maybe the Spirit is trying to tell me something?). Am I going out, loving my neighbors?
The coronavirus is spreading. Only God knows what the effects will be—we know it will be bad, but not how bad. People are scared and panicking. Your neighbors need you. Find out who they are and “Put your life in practice there.” (But maybe wash your hands first!)
