How does Zechariah 7:6 challenge our motives behind religious practices today? Setting the scene Zechariah 7 records a delegation coming to Jerusalem to ask whether they should keep fasting customs begun during the exile. The Lord responds by exposing the heart behind every religious routine. Zechariah 7:6: “And when you were eating and drinking, were you not doing so simply for yourselves?” What the verse lays bare • The people had observed fasts for seventy years, yet those very acts had drifted into self-focused habit. • God’s question presses the issue: even ordinary meals—let alone special fasts—had become occasions of self-gratification instead of fellowship with Him. • The verse confronts motives, not merely methods. Rituals without right motives amount to spiritual self-service. Motives matter more than motions • Religious practices can mask self-interest. • God evaluates why we do a thing before He considers how we do it. • A meal or a fast can be equally empty if God is not the center. Scripture’s consistent warning • Isaiah 58:3-7: fasting that ignores justice and mercy is rejected. • Amos 5:21-24: feasts and songs without righteousness are noise to God. • Matthew 15:8-9: “This people honors Me with their lips, but their hearts are far from Me.” • 1 Corinthians 10:31: “So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all to the glory of God.” Practical checkpoints for today • Corporate worship – Is it a weekly obligation or a genuine gathering to delight in the Lord? • Personal devotions – Are they boxes to tick or encounters that shape obedience? • Serving and giving – Is the goal “how it looks” or “how He is loved”? • Sacraments and ordinances – Do they remain vivid reminders of Christ’s work or slide into routine symbolism? Indicators of self-focused religion • Disappointment when recognition is lacking. • Irritation when plans are disrupted for acts of mercy. • Neglect of justice, compassion, and humility while guarding traditions. Marks of God-focused devotion • Joy in unseen obedience (Matthew 6:3-4). • Generosity that expects nothing in return (Luke 6:35). • Eagerness to align private life with public confession (James 1:22). The way forward • Repent of self-centered motives; acknowledge that even good practices can drift. • Re-orient every act—eating, drinking, fasting, singing—to the glory of God alone. • Pursue justice, kindness, and humility (Micah 6:8) as evidence that worship is genuine. • Let love for Christ animate every tradition, so that form and faithfulness walk hand in hand. |
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