Buddhist Catholic Contemplative Evangelical General Christian Hindu Jewish Latter-day Saint Muslim New Visions Progressive Christian

Beliefs

Topics

Columnists

Resource Library

Research Tools

Video

Podcasts

Thought Readers

Faith In Media Tracker

Newsletters

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Follow Patheos

Home
Progressive Christian
The Laziest Christian in the World

The Laziest Christian in the World

Last updated on: September 20, 2010 at 4:37 am by John Shore

The Laziest Christian in the World 2010-09-20T04:37:06-08:00 John Shore

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Still saved!

Everything about us is geared toward action. We are a busy, busy people. It’s great! We do stuff. We move; we go; we participate; we enliven; we improve; we change; we conquer; we build. We are born to answer our own call to alter.

The one place though, where doing nothing is doing everything, is with God. There everything has already been done. If you believe in the phenomenon of Jesus Christ, then you believe that through him you are, without condition or qualification, reconciled to God.

John the Divine tells us that Jesus’ final words on the cross were, “It is finished.” Not, “It is finished, more or less.” Not, “It’s pretty darn close to being finished.” Not, “It is finished, as long as the people it’s finished for pitch in and do their part.”

No. Just, “It is finished.” It’s done. It’s over. Mission accomplished. Through the sacrifice of Jesus your relationship with God was established in the moment, and forever.

So where are you going? Where are you going? What needs your attention? Toward what end are you exercising your will?

What’s left for you to do?

What part of “finished” don’t you get?

Yes, yes, yes: Good works are beautiful and necessary. We must right wrong where we find it. No question. And certainly there is much in the world which necessarily keeps us busy as beavers: We must eat. We must work. Somebody needs to drive the kids to soccer practice. That lawn’s not going to mow itself.

But every so often we have got to remember that part of being a Christian is knowing that it’s perfectly okay for us to be the laziest Christian in the history of fallen man. In God we have every last reason to do nothing. Nothing, nothing, nothing.

Right now, sitting on my couch, I am saved. I’m as saved as I would be if I were duct-taping limbs back onto people in a leper colony. (Oh, great. Now I’m going to hell. See what happens when you try to do stuff like tell stupid jokes?)

I am saved; the believing wino on the street is saved, the saint working with the poor and destitute is saved. No one Christian can be more saved than another. None of us is going to a better heaven. Jesus didn’t die more for one of us than the other.

Through Jesus, I’m saved. If I go to church, I’m saved. If I don’t go to church, I’m saved. If I spend four hours a day reading the Bible, I’m saved. If I don’t know Revelations from Jingle Bells, I’m saved.

Working with the homeless? Saved.

Staying home all day watching television? Still saved!

Yes, being saved means I’m not comfortable staying home and watching TV, because now I have too much life in me for that.

But if I turn off the TV, sit up straight, close my eyes, breath deep, and just be with God? If thusly I do as little as it’s humanely possible to do while still awake?

Then how could I possibly do more?

Christian Spirituality

Previous Post

September 18, 2010

How I REALLY Became an Adult

Next Post

September 20, 2010 Introducing the One and Surely Only Daniel Songer

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Christian Issues Christian Spirituality Dear John En Espanol Everywhere She's Not Humor Look See Pastor Bob's Corner Personal Portuguese Relationships Russian Short-short story Smith Family Chronicles Uncategorized

Select a Month March 2024 August 2022 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 February 2020 December 2019 June 2019 December 2018 May 2018 May 2017 January 2017 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 January 2011 December 2010 November 2010 October 2010 September 2010 August 2010 July 2010 June 2010 May 2010 April 2010 March 2010 February 2010 January 2010 December 2009 November 2009 October 2009 September 2009 August 2009 July 2009 June 2009 May 2009 April 2009 March 2009 February 2009 January 2009 December 2008 November 2008 October 2008 September 2008 August 2008 July 2008 June 2008 May 2008 April 2008 March 2008 February 2008 January 2008 December 2007 November 2007 October 2007 September 2007 August 2007 July 2007 June 2007 May 2007 April 2007

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

Jesus was baptized in the water of which river?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Nile Jordan Gihon Euphrates

Books by This Author Books by John Shore

See All Titles »