unconditional christianity

Just a thought. What if Christians lived their life of service to God unconditionally? It's something that crossed my mind today, and already I know that it's not something that I write in an accusatory manner to other Christians. If I think about it, this thought first crossed my mind yesterday as I realized that my devotional life is in the pits right now. The funny thing is, I know that there are areas of my personal life that go down the pits right along with a lack in my devotional life. And so, the thought came to me yesterday that if I pick up my devotional life again that God would bring other areas of my life back up as well. And so this is where this idea of unconditional Christianity comes from. What if I just did my devotions with no expectations from God? [is this theologically correct?] What if I did my devotions unconditionally?

Every time I hear a pastor (non-Reformed -- and I've actually only experienced this twice to be honest) preach a message on giving financially to the church, I hear them talk about God blessing you in return. That God will bless you 10 times over if you give financially. I have issues with that. And I don't know whether its because I always feel guilty after a sermon like that or if I genuinely feel that these pastors are using God as a way of getting people to give money. I'm not against giving to the church, don't get me wrong, it's just the way that pastors approach this topic. Anyway, the unfortunate thing for me is that I find myself trapped into this mindset that if I give money to the church, God will bless me...and so I give not for the sake of giving, but for the sake of the blessing that is promised in return. What if I gave unconditionally? Would I continue to give if there wasn't a blessing in return? I mean, there's so much crap out there coming from evangelists who claim that God will give people material health, material wealth and material prosperity in return for their commitment of service to Him (or in return for their money). What is that? If that were true, and it was proven that being a Christian brought such things, wouldn't everybody be a Christian? Give me a break.

We speak often about God loving us unconditionally. That is a fact. No matter what we do, no matter where we've been, no matter who we are, God loves us. And God doesn't just love those who follow Him....'for God so loved the world that He gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. God did not send his Son into the world to condemn it, but to save it.' (John 3:16,17). Is it possible to give even a bit of that unconditional love back? Can we try?