So if you can't work your way into Heaven...(J1: Earner to Heir)

So If you can't earn your way into Heaven by kissing babies and helping little old ladies across the street...why do it?

Can I really pass by slumming it?

I am a lazy person. Incredibly lazy. I'm so lazy I once watched an entire four hours of Mamma's Family no WGN because I didn't want to get off the couch to get the remote. I was in one of those one-in-a-million positions on the couch where my legs, buttocks, and arms were all in just the right position to create maximum comfort. Sure, I wanted to watch something a little more entertaining than Vickie Lawrence in a bad wig pretending to be a sassy, ol' gal--but I wanted to be comfortable more.

So while Mama's Family wasn't anywhere near the ideal TV show, it was passable for the four hours I was on the couch.

I also don't work out. I should, but I don't. I'd like to be one of those guys who can call themselves ripped with a straight face, but again, I'm lazy. But that's another thing: when did exercising become about getting ripped, toned, cut, and jacked? Wasn't exercise originally about not dying of a heart attack at 26? Wasn't working out less about vanity and more about quality of life?

I wonder if as many people would work out if it made them healthier, but didn't give them six-packs? I bet more people would be joining me on the couch where we could take turns vacuuming Cheet-o dust and M&M's out of our navals.

I think spiritual disciplines are sometimes looked at like body-building. I've heard a lot of youthgroup leaders talk about building "spiritual muscle." I guess that makes sense on one hand, because the more you practice spiritual disciplines, the stronger your faith can get. I can see that.

But again, do we look at spiritual disciplines and "good works" with goals of vanity or quality of life?

What if God said to you or me: "I want you to pray for an hour a day every day for the rest of your life. By praying an hour a day every day, you will not get smarter, you will not get braver, you will not stop sinning, you will not become a better church leader. BUT you will be honoring me."

Would you be as gung ho about it then? Or would you feel better if God said, "Pray for an hour a day every day for the rest of your life and you will become a great leader at your church that everybody respects and that guides that church body into great and wonderful things."

What if God said, "I want you to empty your savings account, put it in an anonymous bag, wipe all of your fingerprints off of it, and when nobody is looking--give it to this charity."

What happens when doing what God leads you to do doesn't lead to recognition or rewards or even an outcome you can see?

I find that in my life the hardest time to follow God is when I'm all by myself. When I'm sitting in my room and a dusty Bible is sitting next to me waiting to be opened or when there's nothing on TV and I hear God's little voice inside saying, "Let's have a talk Ben. I want to hear your prayers and I want you to listen to me." It's easy to hear that little voice and drown that little guy in Dr. Pepper.

But then if I'm around people or if I think God's going to give me a reward, it's easy to do the good things. It's easy for me to show compassion to somebody I already like, but put me next to somebody whose wronged me and see how quickly I am to not listen to God.

I mean, I can't earn God's favor. I can't earn salvation. So why should I show compassion to that guy that annoys the hell out of me?

God ultimately doesn't want to leave me the way I am. He will always be looking for things in my life to take out His tools, knock down some walls, and start remodeling.

If God is my father and God seeks participation, connection, and devotion from me--then I have to ask myself if that is enough.

Is it enough that God asks me to do the good things for the sole sake of watching me do them? Is it enough for me to do good things so that God can be there with me as I do them? IS it enough for me to do good things so that in doing those things, I can pay tribute to God?

Not because I'll get rewarded, but because God desires to share meaningful experiences with me?

I love how in "A Million Miles in A Thousand Years" by Donald Miller, the author imagines that in Heaven we get to sit with our Creator under a tree somewhere and He'll ask us "What were your favorite parts of the story I laid out for you?" And then when you've told yours, God will say, "Now let me tell you My favorite parts of your story..."

There's something cool about that to me. Something about doing things not to build up Jesus-points and not to "secure my spot in Heaven"--but doing things so that God and I can share in them.

Yes, God has 6,000,000,000-plus sons and daughters on the Earth right now, but He is a big God and there is something very cool about the fact that He will always make time to spend each-and-every moment with us, at our side, whenever we call for Him.