Hobby-Christians

We have several hobby-farms in our area. These are small acreages where people may raise a few animals or grow crops on a small scale. Those who maintain these farms usually have some other primary occupation. Hobby-farming is usually done on the side—mostly for recreational purposes.

Just as there is a difference between being a dedicated basketball player and shooting some hoops at a pick-up basketball game, there is a world of difference between real farmers and hobby-farmers. A real farmer has to commit all his resources into raising livestock or crops. He works hard from dawn to dusk, his whole family pitching in when needed, because their livelihood depends on it. A hobby-farmer can choose when and how much time and effort to invest in his farming activities. His life doesn’t depend on the outcome. For him, this is merely an avocation, not a vocation.

Similarly, most of us are merely hobby-Christians who seek Christ on our spare time. We are not fully invested in this pursuit. We dabble in faith. For a while we are passionate and excited about this new venture. We might buy a few Bibles, join a church, and get involved in some volunteer projects. We meet other hobby-Christians who are just as enthusiastic as we are. Yet, when things get challenging, our interest fades--and we move on to a new hobby. We might still keep all the accoutrements that we acquired—thumbing through our Bibles occasionally, hanging on to friends we made during that phase, and even going to church (because that’s what we are used to doing on Sundays.) Yet, our interest has fizzled…

If we have committed all our resources into this pursuit, we wouldn’t be able to move on. If we have sunk everything in our life—our identity, our future plans, our savings, our time, our energy—if he have surrendered everything to follow Christ, we would have no other choice but to see it through to the very end.