Empty Religious Pursuits
Empty Religious Pursuits
Do you ever feel stuck in a rut with God or with others? Have you lost vision—or even purpose—in the monotony of your daily tasks? Do going to church, reading your Bible, or other “spiritual” activities sometimes feel empty or hard?
I have definitely been there in different seasons of my life. And I want to encourage you with a message the Holy Spirit recently showed me through God’s Word.
Jesus said that the greatest commandments are to love God and to love others (Matthew 22:35–39). God confirms this desire of His throughout the Old Testament as well. One particular place He addresses it is in Zechariah 7 and 8.
The Context
To give some background, the Israelites had just come out of captivity in Babylon. While in captivity, they had created fasts as a way to seek God and humble themselves. Now that they were free, they asked God if they should continue these fasts.
God responded with a powerful, rhetorical question:
“Ask all the people of the land and the priests, ‘When you fasted and mourned in the fifth and seventh months for the past seventy years, was it really for me that you fasted? And when you were eating and drinking, were you not just feasting for yourselves?’” (Zechariah 7:5–6, NIV)
God then reminded them of a message He had already given their ancestors in Isaiah 58. Below are the two passages side by side (NIV), showing how consistent God’s heart is:
Isaiah 58
‘Why have we fasted,’ they say, ‘and you have not seen it? Why have we humbled ourselves, and you have not noticed?’ “Yet on the day of your fasting, you do a you please and exploit all your workers. 4 Your fasting ends in quarreling and strife, and in striking each other with wicked fists. You cannot fast as you do today and expect your voice to be heard on high. 5 Is this the kind of fast I have chosen, only a day for people to humble themselves? Is it only for bowing one’s head like a reed and for lying in sackcloth and ashes? Is that what you call a fast, a day acceptable to the Lord? 6 “Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke? 7 Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter— when you see the naked, to clothe them, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood? 8 Then your light will break forth like the dawn, and your healing will quickly appear; then your righteousness[a] will go before you, and the glory of the Lord will be your rear guard. 9 Then you will call, and the Lord will answer; you will cry for help, and he will say: Here am I. other, and do not love to swear falsely. I hate all this,” declares the Lord.
Zechariah 7:8-10, 8:16-17
7:8 “And the word of the Lord came again to Zechariah: 9 “This is what the Lord Almighty said: ‘Administer true justice; show mercy and compassion to one another. 10 Do not oppress the widow or the fatherless, the foreigner or the poor. Do not plot evil against each other.’
8:16 These are the things you are to do: Speak the truth to each other, and render true and sound judgment in your courts; 17 do not plot evil against each
In other words, God was saying: Your religious activity means nothing if it’s disconnected from love, justice, and compassion.
He then tells them that He would actually turn their fasts into feasts and bless them—if they would obey and not repeat the patterns of their ancestors.
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Questions to Reflect On
As you consider what it means to truly love God and love others, here are a few questions to ponder:
1. How are you sharing the love of God with others in your day-to-day life?
2. What have you done—or need to do—in your schedule to make God the number one priority?
3. Where do you feel you’ve lost a “kingdom on earth” vision and maybe slipped into religious check-off lists?
Before I comment on each one, I want to be clear: this is not about adding burden or condemnation. There is no condemnation in Christ (Romans 8:1). My heart is simply to share practical ways we can live this out with freedom and joy.
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1. Loving the People Right in Front of You
As a stay-at-home mom, I mainly see the same three people every day: my two kids and my husband. Sometimes I feel like I’m failing at growing God’s kingdom. I can feel unseen or invisible because my interactions are limited.
But God has gently reminded me that this is my mission field in this season—and I am not failing Him. He sees me, and He is with me.
I think I often focus so much on what I’m not doing that I forget to enjoy and love the people right in front of me.
Whether you work inside or outside the home, ask God to show you how to love the people He has already placed in your life—maybe it’s the grocery clerk you see every week, or coworkers you spend most of your time with.
Practical Steps:
· Make a list of people you see most consistently.
· Pray for them and ask God how they need to be loved.
· Each day, intentionally say or do one thing that helps someone feel seen, heard, or encouraged.
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2. Drawing From the Well First
To truly love others, we must first draw from the well that satisfies our own souls—time with the Lord.
Every season of my life has looked different with this. Sometimes it’s structured, sometimes it’s scattered. But the key is to keep trying to find what works in your current season.
It will change—but it must be present.
Practical Steps:
· Pick a time with the least interruptions (bathroom, car, early morning, late at night).
· Start with 5 minutes. Let God multiply it.
· Use a devotional or reading plan, but always include Scripture—even if it’s one verse.
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3. Checking the Heart Behind the Habit
God addressed fasting specifically, but the principle applies to all spiritual practices.
Fasting isn’t bad—Jesus did it. But heart posture matters. It’s healthy to ask ourselves from time to time:
Why am I doing this?
Not in guilt—but in honesty.
Practical Steps:
· Ask the Holy Spirit if you need a perspective shift, routine change, or new rhythm.
· Be willing to try new things—even if they don’t all work. God guides moving feet.
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Final Prayer
My prayer is that you would hear God’s voice clearly, feel His closeness, and find fresh passion and purpose as you lean into loving Him and loving others—not out of obligation, but out of relationship.
Sometimes the most “spiritual” thing we can do… is simply love the people right in front of us.
Heidi Argueta
