Author: sethm04

On this special day, I wanted to take a brief moment to wish all of my readers a very Happy Mother’s Day!

There is nothing more powerful than the influence of a woman. The four women you see here have each had a profound impact on the adult I grew into. Their wisdom, strength, courage, and advice molded me into the man I am today. I hope you all have a wonderful day filled with pampering and all the special moments you so deserve!

If I asked you if you considered yourself a cultist, you’d probably look at me with a mixture of offense and bewilderment.

“Of course not, Seth! I don’t wear a black robe, while chanting the name of Cthulhu under a blood moon!”

But are you actually aware of the definition of the word, “cult?”

Dictionary.com uses the following definitions:

“a system of religious veneration and devotion directed toward a particular figure or object.”

and

“a misplaced or excessive admiration for a particular person or thing.”

Without realizing it, I think quite a few of us Jesus Followers have left his original intent for a healthy spiritual life and followed a subtly sinister cult without even realizing it… Let me explain.

Have you ever had one of those days where you feel that your own inner voice is your staunchest critic? You examine your work and accomplishments and reduce it to ash with a kind of acrid criticism we save for our headspace, and would be mortified to use on anyone we knew in the outside world. We may even pray in a moment of frustration, asking God to bless our efforts as we “try harder,” hot tears of shame pouring down our face as we come face to face with our own perceived in inadequacy… And without knowing it we are performing a ritual to our unknown cult… The cult of “try harder.”

The sinister nature of this cult comes from how subtle it is. We want to do more, achieve more, be more, so we fashion idols of ideals in our minds of what success looks like, all the while creating this graven image in our own likeness. We make gods out of our own goals, and faithfully self-flagellate when we fail to please these capricious deities… It’s hard to please a god fashioned with our own limitations…

But, when we look at the life of Jesus, we see that this very American idea of “I need to try harder” crumbles at the foot of the cross.

Being a Jesus Follower isn’t about “trying harder.” It’s about trusting and resting.

Trying harder falls under the domain of the Pharisees. They were high priests of the “Try Harder Cult.” They invented new rules and standards as a hobby. Jesus described them this way:

“They tie up heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on people’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to move them with their finger.” -Matthew 23:4

I think a lot of us have allowed some invisible Pharisees of modern culture to tie up heavy burdens for us. Image, Financial Success, Career, Perceived Self-Righteousness, Accomplishment can all be heavy burdens to put on one’s shoulders.

But, Jesus comes along and shakes up this entire perception. Contrasting himself with the Pharisees, Jesus says:

“Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” -Matthew 11:28-30

Jesus cares a lot less about all the things you do and accomplish than about the person you are becoming.

His love for you is perfect. His work on the cross echoes his heart that you are accepted and wanted. You are enough for him… No extra trappings required.

Today I decided to leave the cult of “Try Harder,” I hope you’ll join me.