Empty Phrases

Jesus said that when we pray we should “not heap up empty phrases” (Matthew 6:7). Later he lamented a hypocritical form of worship by quoting the indictment that first came through Isaiah: “These people draw near with their mouth and honor me with their lips, while their hearts are far from me” (Isaiah 29:13; Matthew15:8). We must be so careful when we bow our heads to pray, or lift our voices to sing. God is not impressed when we utter mere words such as “Praise the Lord!” or “Hallelujah!” He is looking for worshippers whose spirits (i.e., minds, hearts, and thoughts) are engaged in expressing the meaning of those words (cf. John 4:23). It is easy to melodically recite lyrics of Christian songs, but it takes concentration, sincerity and thoughtfulness to truly worship in song. We should never hide behind fine sounding words while our minds wander through a set of thoughts about something else. This is a special challenge when someone else is leading us in prayer during a church service or at a Bible study. Those words coming from the one composing and vocalizing the prayer must be echoed in our own minds and then thoughtfully directed to God from our own hearts. When we are leading in prayer or praying privately, we must be careful to never “heap up empty phrases” which our minds never grasp or our hearts never direct to God. Real prayer and real worship require our minds. Don’t switch them off. Don’t let them wander. God deserves our full attention and desires our attentive communication.

Who Are You Trying To Impress?

Much of the Bible would have us ponder our coming evaluation. God, our Father and our Judge, will be the One to whom we must give an account of ourselves. And so, the logic goes, we must think of him when it comes to our decisions, words, actions and work. Our stewardship before God should always be in the forefront of our minds. And yet it seems we so often fail to walk with this kind of faith, walking instead by sight, seeking to garner the approval of those we can presently see and hear. We so desperately want the words and nods of affirmation from those around us, which may or may not coincide with the approval that really matters. Does it, in the end, make any real difference if we have impressed those we see each day and yet fail to hear “well done” from our Creator? Will it really bring us any lasting benefit to gain heaping approval from our neighbors and coworkers, if we later discover that we have been an offense to the One who died for us? How important our daily time in God’s word should be to us – our time to reflect on who and what is worth living for. The disapproval we so fear on earth may be nothing less than applause in heaven. May we learn to live for our Maker and our Redeemer whom we will soon see face-to-face. May we comprehend with clarity the futility of living to impress the world and each other.

Funerals

It is remarkable that non-Christians, agnostics and staunch secularists turn into weeping and hope-filled theologians at their loved ones’ funerals. People that rarely give God a thought or ten minutes of contemplation take up the microphone and tearfully recite their poems about the fishing, feasting and frolicking in “heaven”. They speak confidently of their departed friend living at peace and in comfort - enjoying “a better place” forevermore. They reference the eternal gifts of God but hurry to leave the ceremonies and gravesites to live, as the deceased once did, in open defiance of God. They continue to mock God’s truth, malign Christ’s followers and disdain all the truths that their Creator has inscribed in his word. All, that is, except the biblical references that speak of eternal pleasures and heaven’s rest. Their glaring hypocrisy goes undetected. People gleefully claim the benefits of the One they openly despise. In the first century Paul said that the difference between Christian and non-Christian funerals was that the former was tempered with hope and the latter was not (1 Thessalonians 4:13). Today, with our culture’s resolve to defy facts with feelings, to replace logic with wishing, and to selfishly claim all available benefits whether provision has been made for them or not, it should be no surprise that non-Christian funerals brim with overweening hope. Though it is a false hope, one that tragically insulates the ceremony’s participants from any urgency to make peace with their Maker. When in the end that is all that matters. The gravity of death ought to lead the living to humbly reach out to God in repentance. For to have any real hope of the blessings of heaven we must be made right with its King through a life-changing faith in Jesus Christ.

Desert Attitudes

When God led the Israelites out of Egypt, the destination was the promised land of Canaan – a land of abundance and rest. The route was through the desert – which by contrast was hot, difficult and filled with discomfort. As is so often the case, God’s good plans include a path through the desert. From the perspective of the New Testament our entire life this side of heaven can rightly be considered a path through the desert (John 16:33; Acts 14:22; Hebrews 4:1-11; et al.). But in a microcosm there are many instances in this life that follow this larger paradigm. It might be one of the many painful paths that God utilizes in our lives to bring us to a new level of maturity. It may be the discomfort of an illness before the relief of restored health. Or it might be the painful financial struggles before a season of financial stability. Whatever the circumstance, we can learn from the poor example of the Israelites in their desert. Their monumental failure was how they handled the pain on the way to their relief. They whined and complained. They were bitter and angry. They longingly looked back at the fish and cucumbers of Egypt, instead of looking forward to the milk and honey of Canaan (Numbers 11:4-6). God would have us learn to patiently endure the hardship of our deserts with faith and hope. He has promised relief. In the meantime his Spirit is able to make us resilient and resolute. May we not have to look back from our next “Canaan” regretting our words and our attitudes in the desert

Regret

It is not uncommon to hear people say that they have lived their lives with “no regrets”. They often state that they would live just the same if they had it to do all over again. That sentiment is one hard to imagine coming from the mouth of a Christian. While we may affirm the truth that God works all things together for good (Romans 8:28), there ought to be a true remorse for the times we have sinned against our holy and loving God. If reliving a situation were possible, I trust we would all want to amend a transgression that assailed our Savior, or maximize an opportunity to advance the cause of Christ. But the Bible is clear, we cannot. Thankfully, our iniquities and missed opportunities have been dealt with on the cross. And God of course, would have us live in the present and not the past (Philippians 3:13). He wants us to look ahead, not backwards. While our sinful histories rightly make us remorseful, the good news is our forgiveness is complete and more opportunities to glorify Christ lie before us. We can all admit we have regrets, but let us be quick to praise God that his grace is greater than our sin and today is a new day to live for Christ.

Daily Struggle

While we would all love to imagine a Christian life that is tranquil and calm, the truth is it’s not. The Bible is clear that this side of heaven every Christian has been drafted into battle. We are, after all, called to live for Christ in a world that is skeptical of our faith, disparaging of our values, and at enmity with our God. Add to that, we all must live for Christ in a physical body that is beset with a variety of selfish and sinful inclinations. Any hopes of tranquility will have to wait for a resurrected body and an address in the New Jerusalem. This, by the way, is why we find so much metaphorical use of military themes in the New Testament. When the Apostle Paul describes his fellow Christians and ministry colleagues he refers to them as “fellow soldiers” (Philippians 2:25; Phile.1:2; 2 Timothy 2:3). Near the end of his life lived for Christ, Paul looks back and writes, “I have fought the good fight” (2 Timothy 4:7). So if you are surprised by your daily struggle, don’t be. Let’s discover contentment as we accept the current forecast. Let’s grasp God’s promised peace amid the conflict. And whatever you do, don’t lose heart. God has promised us victory.

Hell

Hell. No one likes to think about it. The world attempts to dilute its force by using the word as an expletive or as an impertinent adjective. But much like tax day or a set of dire medical test results, not thinking about it or making light of it, doesn’t change its reality. While the biblical data on hell may be denied by the world and now even large portions of the church, it would do us well as Christians to take heed to what the New Testament has to say about the pending judgment of God on an unbelieving world. It is hard to acquire the proper motivation for biblical service or gospel evangelism until we accept the sobering words of Christ regarding sin’s eternal consequences. Attempting to dismiss the clear teaching of Scripture on this topic because it doesn’t fit our preconceived notions of God, or because we deem the whole concept archaic or severe will not do if we are going to let God define himself and if we claim his word to be the final arbiter of truth. We must grapple with this doctrine as we would any other, allowing it to shape our thoughts and our behavior. It will undoubtedly drive us to a deeper appreciation for grace and a more zealous involvement in advancing the cause of Christ.