How Malachi 1 Exposes Half-Hearted Faith

As I walked through Malachi chapter one in my study of the minor prophets, the Holy Spirit began to press on my heart. This chapter is a sobering reminder of how God’s people were treating Him: they were bringing Him blemished sacrifices—blind, lame animals—things they wouldn’t even offer a human governor (Malachi 1:8). And yet they were giving them to the Lord.

It made me ask: Are we doing the same?

1. Saying He’s Lord Doesn’t Mean He Actually Is

God told the people through Malachi, “A son honors his father, and a servant his master. If then I am a father, where is My honor? And if I am a master, where is My fear?” (Malachi 1:6). They were calling God “Father” and “Master,” but not living in a way that honored Him. They showed up to worship, but with no real obedience or reverence.

It’s the same question we need to ask today. Is Jesus truly Lord over our lives, or just a name? Because calling Him “Lord” while living in our own will is no different than what the priests were doing.

Jesus said, “Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do what I tell you?” (Luke 6:46). That verse hits hard. Obedience is the evidence of surrender.

2. Are We Serving God Cheaply?

This is where I had to sit with the Lord and ask, “Am I giving God my best, or just what’s easy?” The passage from 2 Samuel 24:24 came to mind, where David says, “I will not offer burnt offerings to the Lord my God that cost me nothing.”

Following Jesus is costly. And it should be. He is worthy of our best—our first fruits—not our crumbs. But how often do we offer Him what’s left over?

Leftover time. Leftover energy. Leftover devotion.

We serve when it’s convenient. We pray when we’re not too tired. We give if there’s something left in the budget. That’s not surrender. That’s a religious routine dressed up as faith.

is Jesus our whole world or just the cherry on top

3. Following Jesus Means Doing It His Way

I wrote this in my notes: “We say we follow Jesus, but we do it our way.” And that’s what hit me in Malachi. The priests were still “serving,” but they were doing it their way, not God’s way.

In our modern context, this resembles attending church while disregarding the actual meaning of the Word. It’s quoting verses but not living under their authority. “This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me.” (Matthew 15:8)

Obedience is not optional. God has given us a way to live, and we don’t get to remix it to fit our lifestyle. Surrender means following Him, not asking Him to follow us.

4. Is Jesus the Cherry on Top… or the Foundation?

This is where the ice cream analogy came in. I think about how we build our lives like a sundae: we stack our desires, our dreams, our careers, our comfort, and then we add Jesus like the cherry on top. A nice extra. Something sweet. Something decorative.

But Jesus isn’t meant to be the cherry. He’s the cup that holds it all. He sets the foundation. He fills it with His purpose, His plans, His flavor. The whipped cream and the cherry—the little blessings of life—come later.

Colossians 1:18 says, “That in everything He might be preeminent.” Not an accessory. Not an afterthought. But everything.

5. God Deserves More Than Our Leftovers

Malachi 1 wasn’t about people ignoring God entirely. The priests still showed up. But they dishonored Him in the way they showed up. They brought Him the scraps.

Are we doing the same?

Romans 12:1 calls us to be “living sacrifices, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.” Not convenient. Not casual. But Sacrificial.

This is about the posture of our hearts. Are we giving Him the first of our time, our talent, our treasure? Or just what’s left after we’ve done everything else with it?

Conclusion: Don’t Settle—Surrender

I know it’s hard. I also live in this same culture. A culture that says, “Do you,” “Set your own boundaries,” and “God gets what’s convenient.” But that’s not the Gospel. That’s cultural Christianity.

God is calling us to more. Not perfection. But obedience. Not performance. But true devotion.

It’s a daily surrender. And that’s what I’ve been asking the Lord lately: “Where am I still holding on? Where am I still choosing my own flavor over what He’s chosen for me?”

Jesus is worthy of our whole life, not just the cherry on top.