The Very Practical Resurrection Life

Here's what I used to think it meant to be a human and celebrate Easter.
Jesus died for me. He wants me to think really hard about that this weekend.
He also wants me to invite more people to church.
For 40 days prior (Lent), He wanted me to give up something and try to be less happy about stuff and happier about Him (but sad that He was betrayed, tortured, and died [which I am!]).
He probably wanted me to pray the whole weekend.
He wanted me to celebrate like crazy on Sunday, probably baptizing new converts, and singing the happiest worship songs before moving on to another Monday with the Easter season behind us and nothing much to do until Christmas.
I would be doing all these things not as well as I could or should be doing and asking for forgiveness, remembering that, well, this is just the sort of thing He died for—my less than perfect devotion.
Religion, am I right?
The fact is, all those things are good. I'll do most of them this weekend.
But it sure makes it feel like these things are the point of the Christian life.
But they are not the point of the Christian life.
Because as important as Holy Week is, it's still just religion.
It's good religion if…
…I don't forget what it's actually about. And what would that be?
Being.
Is there anything different about Easter from any other day?
Not really.
Which day do we not live in the reality that God made us, saved us, and loves us?
On which day should we not remember the Gospel and live out of the truth?
On what day are we not made in the image of God?
When do we not wake up and walk in the Spirit, fulfilling our callings as delegated authorities over the earth, making stuff and making stuff happen?
Is there any Tuesday we aren't called to love our neighbors, brothers, and enemies?
What I'm Not Saying
I'm not saying that it's not helpful to have seasons in the Church. I think most of us benefit from the annual reminders on the Church calendar. All those things in my introduction are good things as long as they don't become the point.
The fact that some who consider themselves Christians only go to church on special days tells me that it is the human tendency to mistake our relationship to God with a duty-bound obligation to His religion, even if it's poorly lived out.
Being baptized Christians is just our eternal reality at this point. Everything we do is worship, because we are constantly bearing His image and glorifying Him. The only way not to do that is to sin, which you can only do when you are forgetting who you are and Who He is.
Religion can help us not sin, and that's the point. Everything about being, is remembering.
There is tremendous freedom in giving up religiousness. And because you and I struggle to know when we're prioritizing religion over relationship, here are 10 ways to know if that's what you're doing:

1. You feel more obligated than invited.Religion says you should. Relationship says you get to.
2. You're more concerned with appearance than authenticity. Who's watching becomes more important than who you're meeting.
3. You compartmentalize "sacred" and "secular." Monday has nothing to do with Sunday.
4. You're driven by guilt rather than gratitude. Shame is your main motivator.
5. You focus more on rules than relationship. Getting the traditions right matters more than presence.
6. You measure spiritual success by activity rather than identity. Your worth depends on what you do.
7. You struggle to rest. Downtime makes you feel spiritually unproductive.
8. You compare your spiritual life to others. Your spiritual growth feels like a competition.
9. You're more familiar with doctrine than love. You can talk theology but struggle to embody it.
10. You forget to live in the present. You're stuck regretting the past or anxious about the future.

And a Bonus: You are always ashamed, even when you didn’t do anything wrong.
This is why Paul said, "I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection" (Philippians 3:10).
He didn't say, "I want to know about Christ." He didn't say, "I want to perform rituals for Christ."
He said, "I want to know Christ."
And specifically? "The power of his resurrection."
This is practical resurrection life. It's not about checking religious boxes. It's about experiencing resurrection power in your daily life.
It's living as if death has already been defeated.
Because it has.
The miracle of Easter isn't just that Jesus rose then. It's that resurrection life is available now.
Every day.
In traffic jams.
During arguments.
While washing dishes.
Watching Netflix.
Resurrection isn't a concept—it's reality. Death, sin, and religion no longer have the final say.
So attend services. Sing songs. Remember the cross. Celebrate the empty tomb.
But don't forget Monday morning isn't a return to "regular life" after a spiritual holiday.
It's another day of being who you already are—a resurrection person.
That's the freedom Christ died and rose to give us. Not freedom someday.
Freedom today.
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—Jeff B. Miller