For me, the beginning of July marks a time when some of our church activities go on a hiatus. Having a bit of breathing room in my schedule allows me to be more self-reflective than I’ve been for the previous ten months when I felt like I was straining to stay on top of the next thing. For this reason, Collin Hansen’s interview with Mark Galli hit me at a good time.

In the podcast “Why Evangelicals Forgot God,” Galli and Hansen talk about our tendency to become so interested in doing good things for God that we become less and less interested in God himself. Galli contends that the goal of church planting, evangelism, mercy ministry, or any other Christian activity, is to come into the presence of God. His thesis reminds of something John Piper often says: “Missions exists because worship doesn’t.”

I don’t want to be so consumed by righteous activities that I lose out on deep fellowship with my Maker. I don’t want to be calling others into relationship with Jesus while letting my own die for lack of attention. I needed this wake-up call, and maybe you do too.