Sounds Good to Me

"In those days

there was no king in Israel.

Everyone did what was right in his own eyes."

Judges 17:6 ESV

It seemed like a good idea at the time:  Go to college, earn a degree and see what happens.  The problem is, I didn't even consult the Master Planner.  Instead, I did what seemed right to me.  I guess it wasn't surprising since I lived my life based on what sounded good to me.  If I wanted to participate in a certain activity, there was nothing to hold me back as long as I felt comfortable doing it.  If a boy expressed interest in me and told me I was beautiful, I gave my heart to him because it felt right.  If a thought entered my mind, I examined it fully from every angle since I lacked any kind of filtering system.  You see, I was my own god for many years after I made a profession of faith in Jesus Christ but I failed to submit to His Lordship until I was well into my adult years.

I guess my life might not be so different from your life.  I can see it was also very similar to Micah's.  He lived during the time of the judges and did what seemed right to him;  He set up his own shrine in his home and ordained his own son to be priest.  Instead of following God's instructions for proper worship, he did things his way. He meant well; doesn't that count for something (Leviticus 8-10)?

It's easy for me to take on this same attitude, thinking that as long as I'm trying to worship God, it doesn't matter how I do it.  Let's see what God says.

Living Sacrifice

Hands held high.  Bodies swaying back and forth.  Eyes closed.  Worshipful expressions on the faces of the people. The voice of the worship leader gently prodded, "Let it go. Let God have His way with you right now in this place."  The people responded, each doing what seemed like it might look like they were worshiping God.  Meanwhile, the Lord was paying no attention to the outward appearance.  Instead, He was concerned with the hearts of His people, especially after they piled into their cars and headed home (1 Samuel 16:7).

It's easy for me to think that worship is what takes place on Sunday mornings or Wednesday evenings when I gather with other believers to sing praises to my Lord and Savior.  While this is a form of worship, if I truly want to revere and adore my Maker, I must look to scripture for instructions.

The Lord tells us clearly in Romans 12:1 how to truly worship Him.  He said through the Apostle Paul that, in light of everything He has done for me, I can give my entire life, totally surrendering to Him and His plan as a form of living and holy sacrifice to Him.  When I do this, I am worshiping God not just with my lips or in the way that seems right to me, but I am giving Him what He wants most: my heart.  

This means I will let go of my desire to control the details of my life, to decide which way I want to go, to make up my own mind as to how I will spend the time, money and gifts He has given me.  Instead, I will freely turn the responsibility of managing my life over to Him, letting Him control the ins and outs of my life, allowing Him to lead me down the path He has laid out for me, and giving Him Lordship over the resources He has so generously bestowed upon me.

I have my own idea of what worship looks like based on what I see around me, but if I want to do what is right in God's eyes, I must pay attention to His design for worship.

Pure Religion

There is much pressure to conform to my religion.  I feel guilty if I miss a Sunday at church.  I don't feel comfortable spending the money I should be tithing.  I beat myself up if I slip and let a curse word fly when I'm frustrated.  I just can't seem to live the way I think I should be living.  I would never tell anyone, but I secretly wonder what good this religion is if all it does is heap a heavy burden on my shoulders.  I already have enough to worry about!

Does this sound familiar?  It's easy turn Christianity into a set of rules to follow, a mold to which I must conform, or a way of living I think I need to mimic.  Instead, Jesus died a horrible death, emptying Himself of His divine privileges in order to make it possible for me to have a relationship with the One who loves me perfectly (Philippians 2:6-8, Romans 5:10, 1 John 3:1a).

Consequently, it is my relationship with a loving and merciful God that is most important (Luke 10:38-42).  Instead of trying to follow a set of religious rules, then, I can simply follow Him (Matthew 11:28-30). As I fall into step with Him, I will find that He changes my heart, giving me a desire to do things that please Him (Philippians 2:13).  As a result, my religion will begin to morph into something more in line with what God has in mind.

Instead of feeling pressure to go to church and listen to the Bible being taught, I will take in His Word as if it were life itself, letting it cut out the parts of me that don't line up (Hebrews 4:12).  Instead of doing service out of obligation, I will discover a passion for helping the widows and orphans God places in my life:  It will be a joy to help take care of their needs  (James 1:27).  Likewise, instead of trying so hard to clean up my language out of duty, I will find that I want to honor God with my words and to stay separate from the ways of the world which resonate deeply to my sin nature (James 1:26-27).

I have an idea of what religion looks like based on a set of rules, but if I want to do what is right in God's eyes, I will have to instead focus on my relationship with Him.

Obedience

At this time of year, many people decide to give something up for Lent.  It might be a certain habit, an indulgence, or an activity each offers as a sacrifice.  Whatever is surrendered, the idea is to give it up for 40 days before Easter as a symbol of turning back to God.

While this can have some real spiritual impact, for most people it is a temporary sacrifice made out of obligation.  The hope may be that the fast will last for the rest of their lives, but nearly all who give something up for Lent go back to their old ways once Easter rolls around.

Samuel, the prophet and final judge of the nation of Israel, delivered a message from God to Saul when he similarly tried to give a sacrifice as a way to earn God's favor before an important battle.  Instead of obeying God's instructions to the "t," however, Saul tried to use the offering as a sort of talisman, hoping that it would result in God's stamp on approval of him as king before he entered into combat. Saul wanted the power God wields without wanting God Himself.  Samuel set him straight, telling him that, "To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams" (1 Samuel 15:22).

Instead of trying to give something up for the sake of giving it up, then, I would be better off paying attention to His Word and yielding to His work in my life.  When I sense His gentle prodding to forgive a sister who has wounded me deeply, it would please Him most if I let go of the hurt that is eating me up inside (Ephesians 4:32). When I know He is telling me it is important to wait on His time, I would give Him pleasure if I stopped my forward progress to give His plan a chance to work out in my life (Isaiah 40:31). When I read in His Word that love is more important than any of the gifts I can use in His name, opening my heart to let His love flow through me would put a smile on my Father's face (1 Corinthians 13:1-3).

I may be tempted to make sacrifices to prove the seriousness of my faith, but if I want to do what is right in God's eyes, I would be better off putting my efforts into obedience.  

I am not so different from Micah, the Old Testament character who tried to worship God in a way that seemed right to him.  When I do what is right in my own eyes, however, I am not pleasing God.  If I want to give Him pleasure, then, I must offer my life as a sacrifice, focus on growing closer in my relationship with Him, and make obedience my greatest desire.  In these ways I'll stop doing what sounds good to me and start doing what truly is good in God's eyes.

As I begin this day it is my prayer that I can stop following a form of religion that leads nowhere.

When do I follow a list of rules instead of my Father who loves me?

How am I more focused on a religion instead of my relationship with the Lord? 


Originally published on March 31, 2014

Let God be God

"But after a while the Philistines returned and again spread out across the valley of Rephaim.

And again David asked the LORD what to do.

'Do not attack them straight on,'

the LORD replied.

'Instead, circle around behind 

and attack them near the poplar trees.  

When you hear a sound like marching feet 

in the tops of the poplar trees,

be on the alert!

That will be the signal that the LORD is moving ahead of you to strike down the Philistine army.'"

2 Samuel 5:22-24 NLT

He had done it just a few days before, defeating the relentless Philistines.  When David's determined enemy threatened again, it would have been easy for David to assume he was to use the same strategy as in his previous victory: engage the Philistines head-on.  Instead, David had a well-developed understanding of God's sovereignty as well as of His higher ways, leading Him to seek out His wisdom. (Isaiah 55:8-9, Micah 4:12)  David knew each unique circumstance required a separate inquiry to the Lord in order to discover His distinct and specific plan.

I must keep this truth in mind as well.  Instead of assuming I should proceed as usual, it is important that I constantly seek His will in each and every situation.

In His Time

I am bound by time.  My life is often driven by appointments to keep, deadlines to meet and schedules to which I must adhere.  Whenever facing a struggle or difficulty, I often have a certain time-frame in which I'd like for it to be resolved.  I despise open-ended commitments; I'd much rather know the beginning and ending date.  I depend so much on the constraints of time.

It is a mistake for me to place God in this same category, assuming that He thinks the same way I do.  Instead, He is not bound by time in the least.  He is never slow and my artificial deadlines mean nothing to Him. (Isaiah 57:15,Psalm 90:4,2 Peter 3:9)  If I am determined to finish a project by the end of the week, it doesn't influence His perfect plan one bit.  I can no more will God to work within my parameters of time and space than I can herd a group of cats in the direction I want them to go.

Since time is not a factor for God, I would be wise to wait on His perfect timing, letting Him be God.  I often limit Him in my efforts to place a time constraint on His work.  When things don't work out in the period I have in mind, it is easy for me to give up, thinking it will never happen.  Or, when I grow tired of waiting, I'm easily persuaded to try another path, straying away from God's perfect plan.  Or, when I run out of steam in my effort to keep up appearances while I hope against all odds that God will come through, it's too simple for me to give up, cutting my losses and coming to the conclusion that I'm just not cut out to live by faith.

Time means nothing to God.  His plan is perfect, but if I'm going to let Him have His way in my life, I'll have to give up my desire to let time color His kingdom and influence His ways.  If Jesus is to be Lord of my life, I must let Him be Himself, working in the way He best sees fit.  If that means things happen faster than I expect; so be it.  On the other hand, if it means I die waiting, I must be ready to accept His sovereign, perfect plan.  (Hebrews 11:13)

If I am to live my life according to God's plan, not assuming I know what's best, I will need to let go of my desire to limit Him by the constraint of time.

In His Way

He has his own way of doing things.  When I first got married to my husband, it was hard for me to adapt to his ways.  I liked to hurry through my chores, eager to be finished while he took his time, relishing the process or working.  He didn't mind leaving projects unfinished while I preferred to wrap up a job before I could rest.  He tended to be more laid back while I was pretty structured and rigid.

Now that we've been married for a quarter of a century, I have learned that there is more than one way to do things and my way is not the best way.  If I want to keep the peace in our home, it was necessary for me to learn to sometimes yield to his way.  

Similarly, when I accepted Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior, I also gave up my right to run my own life.  Instead, I acknowledged that He is the One who knows what's best for me.  Even though I prefer giving myself the illusion that I'm in control, when I admit that His plan is the one that will most benefit me, life goes so much better.

Instead of fighting to be the master of my own destiny, I can let Him lead me down the path I would never choose for myself. (Psalm 23:3-4) In place of trying to understand why things are happening the way they seem to be falling into place, I can seek His will without demanding to comprehend His mysterious ways. (Proverbs 3:5-6)  As a replacement for doing things in the way I best see fit, I can let Him choose for me.

If I am to live my life according to God's plan, not assuming I know what's best, I will need to let go of my desire to do things my way.

For His Glory

My goals are in stark contrast to God's.  While I'm mostly concerned with my own comfort, welfare and reputation, God focuses on what will make the most of Him.  Whereas I tend to invest in what will bring attention and accolades to myself, God's goal is to make His name known to all the earth. (Isaiah 45:3, Isaiah 43:10) Although I look for the easiest path, God's plan is to mold me into the image of His Son using whatever means necessary to reach this goal. (Romans 8:28-30)

Therefore, if I want God to get credit for the great things He is doing, it is necessary that I cease looking for praise from people.  It is easy for me to get caught up doing things that will make me popular, or that give people a warm, fuzzy feeling, or that evoke a smile.  Instead of looking for such responses, however, it must be my intention to seek God's best, resulting in Him getting all the glory in place of me stealing some for myself. 

Furthermore, I will need to make less of me so more of Him can be showcased in my life.  While it is natural for me to do what makes me look good, I must switch to a desire that seeks to show off God's attributes.  Instead of doing something in my own strength, then, it will be necessary to let God work through me, loving the despised, forgiving the inexcusable, and showing mercy to the cruel and heartless.

Finally, it will be necessary for me to let go of doing what comes naturally.  In place of following my flesh, I can let the indwelling Spirit of God lead me, resulting in His fruit being produced and displayed in my life.  In this way people will see my good deeds and praise my Father in heaven.  (Galatians 5:16-22, Matthew 5:16)

If I am to live according to God's plan, not assuming I know what's best, I will need to let go of my desire to get all the credit.

In the same way that David understood the need to seek God's face in every situation, never assuming yesterday's solution will work for today's challenge, I must also gain this same understanding of God's sovereign nature.  In so doing, I will find a desire to let God work things out in His timing, in His way, and for His glory.  Then I will let God be God.

As I begin this day it is my prayer that I can trust God and His timing even when it seems like He is way too slow.

When do I limit God with my own assumptions and expectations?

How am I proving that I think I'm in control instead of God?