Parking Close at the Gym

You probably know by now that I belong to a health club. Not that it's making a great difference in my girth, but at least I feel healthy. Anyway, I try to work out for about an hour about four times a week. As I drive into the parking lot, I'm always looking for a good parking place. You know, one close to the front door...where I don't have to walk too far... Usually, when I leave, someone waits for me to vacate my spot so they can park close, too. Now think about this for just a moment. I'm going to the health club to exercise. Exercise means walking fast and riding a bike hard. Getting the old heart beating and sweating like a crazy man. Heaven forbid that I have to walk any distance to get to the door. How crazy is that?
We do it at church all the time. Oh, it's not getting the best parking spot, but the principle is still the same. Our appearance at the church building is to make people think that we are holy. We show up, make an appearance, sing a few songs, pray a little, and we are holy. We seem to forget that it's not how we act inside the four walls of the church building, church is where we go every day. It's how we act. It's how we think. It's who we are. If, however, we can be there and look holy, amen the preacher once in a while (as long as he doesn't go too long), and beat the Baptists to the restaurants, then we're Christian. Oh, my goodness, no. Jesus said, "These people honor me with their lips but their hearts are far from me." Kind of like leaving it at the gym and not taking it with us. Let's not be that way. Let's remember who we are and whose we are. Let's not look for the easy way. I hope your day is a great one. JW