Is Church Keeping You Busy—But Not Helping You Grow?

Many of us have been taught that staying busy in church means we’re growing in our faith. But deep down, we know something's missing. We show up to serve, attend the meetings, and volunteer for every event—but still feel spiritually dry.

Busyness doesn’t always equal maturity.

If you're honest, do you feel closer to God after a packed week of ministry activity? Or are you so drained that you have little energy left for personal prayer, Scripture, or listening to His voice?

Jesus didn’t call us to activity. He called us to abide.

“I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in Me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing.” —John 15:5

If our calendars are full but our hearts are empty, it’s time to pause and ask: What am I really growing? Fruit or fatigue?

Church isn’t the problem. What the church has become is.

Somewhere along the way, programs, outreach efforts, and entertainment started replacing the one thing that matters most—an intimate relationship with Jesus.

When Did We Lose Our First Love?

In Revelation, Jesus warns the church in Ephesus:

“But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first.” (Revelation 2:4)

They were doing good things—serving, working hard, standing for truth. But they had lost the heart of it all—their love for Jesus. I believe many of us, and many churches, have done the same.

We get so caught up in serving, planning, and attending that we forget the reason we started. Church becomes about doing instead of simply being with Jesus.

No Program Can Replace Relationship

The modern church often prioritizes activity over intimacy. There’s a constant push for bigger events, better outreach, and more engagement. But all the busyness in the world can’t take the place of a real, personal, growing relationship with Jesus.

  • True discipleship isn’t about filling calendars—it’s about transforming hearts.

  • Genuine good works flow naturally from love for Jesus—not obligation.

  • If our churches are full of activity but lack a deep love for Christ, we’ve missed the point.

Jesus said:

“If you love me, you will keep my commandments.” (John 14:15)
This isn’t about checking off a list—it’s the natural byproduct of genuine love and devotion. When you love Jesus, it shows.

Real Love is Evident

Think about someone who just got a new puppy. They don’t have to be told to talk about it. They can’t help but share! They show pictures, tell stories, and light up every time they mention it.

How much more should this be true with Jesus? If we are truly walking with Him, it should be obvious in our lives. Not forced. Not scripted. Natural.

It’s Time to Course-Correct

I know what it’s like to forget this, to go through the motions and lose the joy of truly walking with Jesus. Many of us have been there. But we don’t have to stay there.

It’s time to course-correct. To strip away everything that distracts from what really matters. To return to why we wanted church to exist in the first place—to know and love Jesus more deeply.

If we do that, everything else will fall into place. Love first. Seek Him first. The rest will follow.

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