Lent | Week 1: Turning Back to GodSample

Day 5 | More Than a Checklist

It’s easy to make faith about appearances. Go to church, say your prayers, read your Bible, don’t cuss, rinse, and repeat. But there’s a difference between doing the right things and doing them for the right reasons. Living like a follower of Christ can quickly turn into a performance. And the audience? Other people.

Jesus warned his followers not to practice their faith for the attention of others. Whether it was giving, praying, or fasting, Jesus didn’t care about what his followers did as much as he cared about why they did it. He wasn’t saying that these practices didn’t matter, but that why we do them matters even more.

Lent isn’t about proving how "Christian" you are. It’s not about checking a box or showing others how disciplined you can be. It’s about nurturing a real connection with God. So as you read, pray, or fast during this season, don’t focus on getting it “right. Instead, focus on getting closer to God.

Pray: God, help me focus on you, not on looking the part. I want to know you more. Amen.