Going Through The Motions
Devotions for Growing Christians
Going Through The Motions
It’s pretty common to see people “get religious” around the holidays. Church services are attended, traditional Christian carols are played and sung, formal prayers are spoken. But the spike in religious activity usually fades by the New Year and gets packed away with the rest of the holiday decorations.
Going through religious motions is not a new thing. In fact, the problem of “going through the motions” was a major theme of the Old Testament prophets. Isaiah 1:14-16 says God hated the outward religious ceremonies when their hearts and lives remained unchanged. The people had no desire to truly honor God. Let’s look at these verses:
“I hate your new moon celebrations and your annual festivals. They are a burden to me. I cannot stand them! When you lift up your hands in prayer, I will not look. Though you offer many prayers, I will not listen, for your hands are covered with the blood of innocent victims.”
Like Thanksgiving and Christmas in our day, feasts and festivals in Bible times didn’t really involve God for most people. Most of the people went through the religious rituals, but their hearts were far from the Lord.
Since there was no true worship behind the rituals, God declared that the activities of religious holidays was repulsive to Him (v14). The insincere prayers and pious display of hands lifted toward the heavens was a cover-up for unholy attitudes and evil actions. God was not interested in hypocrisy and [DR1]religious pandering.
Does this section of God’s Word have something to say about our Christian holiday celebrations? Isaiah prophesied in a day of religious apostasy that was much like current times. The people of Israel no longer faithfully embraced the covenant that God made with their forefathers. There was widespread idolatry and immorality, and pagan rituals had gradually become an accepted part of society. The people had turned away from the Lord to do evil (Isaiah 1:2-4)!
Immorality had become so widespread that Isaiah referred to the nation as Sodom and Gomorrah – cities that God completely destroyed because of their depravity (Genesis 19). Yet the people still acted out their “worship” to the Lord with sacrifices and offerings (v11), pilgrimages to the Temple (v12), incense (v13), sacred services (v14), and celebrating the religious holidays with great displays of devotion (v14-15).
They were going though the motions.
Need for revival
Do the conditions in Isaiah's day remind you of the situation in America today? We still have plenty of churches and religious activity. Our coins still say “In God We Trust," and we pledge to be "One Nation under God." Oaths of truth are taken with a hand on the Bible. Religious declarations such as the "National Day of Prayer" still have a token cultural presence. And, of course, we still have our religious holiday celebrations like Easter and Christmas. But for many Americans God is not involved at all.
Where is the faith in God and upholding of biblical standards that once characterized this nation? Where are the Thanksgivings with real gratitude, without the focus of football and Black Friday sales events? Where are the Christmases whose emphasis is not on parties and presents, but on the miracle of the incarnation?
It’s not just the holidays. In general, we’ve given up our moral standards (v21). Political corruption is rampant (v23). And when we think of legalized abortion, surely this country’s hands are "covered with the blood of innocent victims." (v15).
What should we do? The divine directions are found in verses 16-20: “Wash yourselves and be clean! Get your sins out of my sight. Give up your evil ways. Learn to do good. Seek justice. Help the oppressed. Defend the cause of orphans. Fight for the rights of widows.”
Obviously, in this day and age, this is much more easily said than done. In fact, this kind of radical change of widespread acceptance of Jesus as Savior and Lord may seem all but impossible. But “all things are possible with God” (Mark 10:27). Remember Jonah didn’t think a revival in Nineveh could ever take place.
Even many people who profess to be believers have strayed from the path of obedience to God’s Word. If believers would be willing to turn back to God and biblical standards, God would provide the strength to do what appears impossible – a change of hearts and lives throughout our nation.
Are we, as individual Christians, doing all we can to facilitate revival? Do we honestly desire God to change us as individuals? Another way to focus this crucial question for each one of us would be: “If God were to start a national revival through me, what area of my life would He begin to work on first?"
As we read the rest of Isaiah 1, we’re encouraged by the promise that the Lord gave to Israel. Although discipline was necessary, He would restore them. The Lord is still graciously in the restoration business! His promise of restoration for the people of ancient Judah can certainly be applied to the people of America today. Listen to His promise in 2 Chronicles 7:14. "If my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and restore their land.”
During our annual holiday celebrations, let’s be thankful for the individual leaders in this land who still acknowledge God, who follow biblical standards, and who try to promote a return to biblical standards. Let’s be thankful for the strains of strong and genuine faith that are still evident in our country.
How amazing it would be if our religious holiday celebrations were once again a reflection of true godliness and worship! Let’s pray that God would begin a great movement towards righteousness, and a turn from just “going through the motions.”
- Dave Reid
(Updated 2021, Ron Reid)