Serving God from Revelation, Not Obligation
I attended a church service yesterday where the focus was on promoting upcoming discipleship courses. The lead pastor seemed genuinely excited, encouraging the congregation to sign up early to take advantage of a discounted fee.
As I watched the announcement, a verse came to mind almost instantly:
Matthew 21:13 – “It is written,” He said to them, “My house will be called a house of prayer, but you are making it a den of thieves.”
While I stood in the foyer reflecting on this, a woman approached me rather hesitantly and asked if I had signed up for the course. I politely declined. But something about that interaction stayed with me she didn’t seem enthusiastic. It felt like she was doing it because she had to, not because she wanted to.
It made me wonder: do believers sometimes serve God out of obligation rather than revelation? Are some being pressured into doing things in church thinking it’s pleasing to God when in fact, it might just be manipulation?
Coming from a Hindu background and I became a Christian when I was in my teens. My journey wasn’t forced. I encountered God in a real and personal way that changed my life. My parents thought I’d been brainwashed, and we had many heated arguments back then.
But after yesterday’s interaction, I found myself asking was I, at times, manipulated? Because coercion in church can be subtle. Pastoral leaders and well-meaning people can pressure others into giving, serving, or attending events by spiritualizing it claiming it’s "for God."
I’ve met people who gave generously until they could no longer afford to. Others who served tirelessly, eventually burning out. And I, too, have been in situations where I was “encouraged” to attend conferences and courses I couldn’t afford all under the belief that this was the way to grow spiritually.
But that’s not the heart of Christianity. At its core, Christianity is about a relationship with a Heavenly Father full of grace, mercy, and love.
Luke 11:11 – “You fathers—if your children ask for a fish, do you give them a snake instead?”
Sadly, some preachers aren’t revealing the heart of the Father. Instead, they hype people into spiritual programs and events, presenting them as the path to encounter God.
But real growth comes when people are spiritually mature enough to make choices led by God not pressured by man.
These are just my personal reflections.
