Jesus is not a mascot, but sometimes I think He is treated like one. A mascot is defined as a an animal, person, or thing adopted by a group as its representative symbol and supposed to bring good luck. For example, the Air Force Academy’s mascot is a falcon, but I am certain they do not consult a falcon about strategy or for guidance. The falcon is just a symbol, but holds no real authority.
As believers in Christ, we must make sure Jesus has not become just a mascot. He is actually the head of the church, the redeemer of our souls and the Lord of our lives. He becomes a mascot when we move away from His authority and make decisions about life, ministry and the church based on our own ideas, our own desires and and our own motives. The end result is an empty life and a lifeless church. We surround ourselves with Jesus stuff like church buildings, bibles, religious hymns and ministry programs, but we stop asking Jesus for real guidance. This happens slowly and over time.
To prevent this in our lives, we must stop and evaluate everything we are doing in the name of Jesus and make sure we are actually doing what Jesus wants. Let’s stop, pray, study the Scripture, and do only the things Jesus actually told us to do. The list is actually short and simple. We are to love God, love others, make disciples, baptize new believers, share communion and meet together to encourage one another. There is room to debate what else should be on the list, but I am certain the final list would not include many of the things we think are really important.