Jesus insurance is the act of doing just enough in case you need him. The people that get Jesus insurance acknowledge that there is a God and Jesus does exist as their savior. Outside of that, there is often very little to no fruit. They may have a relationship with Jesus, but it isn’t a growing relationship that moves the person forward in their spiritual journey. This behavior is sad to see as God wants so much more out of us. The more we grow in our relationship with Jesus through reading our Bible, praying to him and living out the scripture in our lives, the more we seek his favor in our lives. If you find yourself with Jesus insurance and want to get more out of your relationship, there are few things that you can do.
The first thing is to start every day by being grateful. When we start our day with prayers of thanksgiving it gives us time to reflect on what God has done in our life and how much we are blessed. This behavior will change your mindset and help reduce the tendency of making God a genie. God wants us to talk to him and ask for his help. He also wants us to give praise and thanksgiving to him. A good balance of the two will help you focus for the day. When we get our mind set on how much God has blessed us with, we will naturally reciprocate that behavior on to others. This is showing others the fruit we bear.
Reading scripture is another important way that we grow as believers. Before you complain about not having time, getting bored, understand that there are many ways to go about hearing scripture. There are podcasts available that break down books of the Bible and walk you through understanding the concepts easier. There is the Bible app which is an excellent tool to get the Bible verse of the day. In addition to getting the Bible verse of the day, there is also a short video that you can watch from a guest speaker breaking down the verse and explaining it as well.
Jesus insurance is the bare minimum, but there is so much more.
If you want to get out of the Jesus insurance mentality of only showing up for the bare minimum, there are quite a few things that you can do. One of the most fulfilling things I did was join a men’s Bible study. Meeting with a group of brother’s weekly helps reinforce our purpose of unifying with other believers. It gives us a sense of community on a smaller and more intimate scale where you can actually get to know other people who are on the same mission. Best of all, you get the opportunity to explore the Bible with other believers. Instead of just listening to a sermon, you can ask brothers questions that you may have about what you have read. This is a great way to interact with others and hear their perspectives and points of view to help you understand things better.
The last thing I would recommend is regularly attending a solid Bible based church. Not all churches are created equal, and it may take some time and some church hopping until you find the right place to call home. Church is less intimate than a Bible study, but it is still a great way to connect with other believers. Attending a church doesn’t have to be a serious commitment. You don’t need to join to be part of the group. Attending a church will give you access to many other programs that are available for you to participate in. Being part of a church family will also create more opportunities in your life for you to serve others. Just realize that there are fifty other weeks to attend church outside of Easter and Christmas. The more you hear the word of God, the more you will grow in your relationship as a believer.