Exhorting (Part 2)

Aug 22, 2025

Don’t just check the Christian boxes, do this instead

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As you know, we treated each one of you as a father treats his own children, exhorting and encouraging you and insisting that you live in a way worthy of God who calls you to his own kingdom and his glory.

1 Thessalonians 2:11-12 (NET)

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I felt like I had more to cover today.

Specifically, about living a way worthy of God.

One of the easy dangers in pursuing this reality is the legalism of just checking boxes. I get it, we have to track things in order to know if we’re actually making progress. Which naturally leads us to check the boxes.

✅ Daily time with God

✅ Going to church

✅ Praying

✅ Being kind to people

✅ Following all the rules

…etc.

I’m not saying this is bad — in fact they’re good things — but maybe it’s incomplete.

The main thing that separates Christians from every other religion in the world is that we’re not a religion … we have a relationship with God.

Anybody that’s had any sort of relationship — whether it’s with your parents, spouse, kids, close friends — knows that checking boxes is not enough. In fact, if they begin to sense that all you’re doing in the relationship is checking boxes they’ll begin to resent you.

We would too.

Nobody enjoys spending energy with people who are “phoning it in.”

We want others to reciprocate the investment we’re giving to them.

Seeing as we’re made in God’s image, it makes sense that God wants our authentic relationship too.

Yes, walking in a manner worthy of God requires following His commandments (which aren’t a burden, they’re light).

But, really, it simply means we walk in love.

Just like Christ first loved us.

— Ricky Ketchum

Scripture quotations marked (ESV) are from the ESV®Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright© 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

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