Like many workplaces, Moody has a wellness program that encourages employees to pursue a healthier lifestyle. You watch educational videos, do fitness exercises, and take a healthy eating lifestyle class—that sort of thing.
For every course you take, you get points. When you earn enough points, you earn the reward: $20/month off the cost of your insurance.
But here’s the thing. This is really about repentance!
- They want me to repent from my five-layered Taco Bell burrito.
- They want me to turn away from lounging on the couch while binge-watching TV.
- They want me to repent from my daily can of soda.
Can I be brutally honest with you? (Don't tell anyone, but) I just want the points—the discount! So, I do the bare minimum. And—sad to say—none of the courses have substantially changed my lifestyle.
I watch the videos—the “sermons” on wellness—but none of it changes me. Because all I want is the prize. Which takes me to a brutal question.
Do we follow Jesus only for the prize—the payoff? Do we love Him primarily because of the gifts and bonuses He offers? Or do we love Him because we love Him? Just because He is worthy.
Here’s the litmus test: Are you repenting—turning away from sin?
Little repentance equals little love.
Much repentance equals much love.
Romans 2:4
Or do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God’s kindness is meant to lead you to repentance?
