spiritual obligation vs religious obligation

Can you be so commited to serving your church that you really aren't serving God anymore? Can you distance yourself away from commitment and become stagnant ?
We as Christians especially in this day and age don't like the word obligation, I think there are two sides one being that your so committed to serving your church that you burn out and the other side is that your so afraid of commitment that you cant really be affective in any ministry your a part of, you need a happy medium.


Spiritual Obligation

God calls us to be fishers of men meaning we have to be out there, we cant just sit in our pews and think deep Godly thoughts. We have to be out there trying (key word try) to live as Jesus lived. Here are some words that really hit me hard. Ezekiel 33:1-20
Sometimes I think " have I done enough" and thats not the thought I'm getting at here, grace and love is still what its about, but I think to myself "I've been in situations where I could have shown people Gods love and I have done nothing" and thats hard to live with sometimes. But just being out there doesnt hold any meaning if you don't live and breath it. which is kind of what my next point religious obligation is about.

Religious Obligation
Well read the book of Ecclesiastes if you want my opinion on "religion" Its all meaningless if it isn't for Jesus.(and for Jesus means that its what he wants, because good intentions aren't always right)(and also for Jesus means for the holy trinity, Its kinda weird I'm kinda realizing how one sided I am). You can be a leader in church, "convert" thousands of people, but if you don't practice what you preach what is the worth. I think sometimes church leaders guilt people into filling positions, sometimes it works and you get people who were a little nervous going in who turn out to really be comfortable, and sometimes it really turns people off even if maybe they do fill that position that they are guilted into you dont find long term committed people by guilting them into a position.

Sometimes I think we get so caught up that we forget that were not doing this for a church, were not doing this for a church leader, were not doing this for our friends, were not doing this for our family, were not doing this for anyone but for God.

in Christ
chad