Is God Great?

The heaviest obligation lying upon the Christian Church today is to purify and elevate her concept of God until it is once more worthy of Him--and of her. In all her prayers and labors this should have first place.

~A.W. Tozer
The Knowledge of the Holy

The Church is imperfect. Everyone would agree on this. On its greatest imperfection, however, some might argue. I'm beginning to see that near the top of the list, if not THE top, is our view of God. We are made in the likeness of God, but we're often too quick to view God in our image, but it doesn't really work that way. There are some reasons that I believe are the cause of our lessening view of God, so here are a few. Feel free to add more:

1. Prayer. Most of us are guilty of half-hearted, faithless prayers at times. In Mark 11 Jesus gives us instructions on prayer: a) pray...believing you will receive (v. 24) b) don't pray while having anything against anyone, forgive others that you might be forgiven (v.25). Those are just two simple examples of things we should be mindful of before asking God's blessings (whether physical healings or spiritual comforts).
2. Sharing. Not only has it come to the point of not sharing our faith with unbelievers, but we rarely share what God is doing in or through our lives with fellow believers. Our 'take everything to God' mentality has led us to shut everyone around us out. We forget that God called us to "consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching." Part of our spiritual growth is knowing that we're not in this thing called life alone. It's about a lot more than a 'God is all I need' outlook. We need others as well and God knew this...that's why he didn't just create one person.
3. Priority. God is taken so lightly these days that it's scary. Very few people fear God. If we had a healthy view of God's character and how it is we treat Him, it wouldn't take a powerful sermon or touching song to get people to the altar, we would quickly realize our shame in light of a Holy, Omniscient, Eternal God and fall on our faces in sheer awe. But, work creeps in and begins to get us feeling dismal. Family problems occur. Our car breaks down. Then our attention is diverted from things eternal to things that will pass. God goes from being THE priority to just another one on the list.

What are some reasons you might have for a misplaced view of God?

Is He still great to you?

I Will Follow You.

Chris Tomlin's latest radio single entitled I Will Follow You has been out for a while now. The lyrics to the chorus are simply this:

Where You go, I'll go / Where You stay, I'll stay / When You move, I'll move / I will follow You // Who You love, I'll love / How You serve I'll serve / If this life I lose, I will follow You // I will follow You

I was privileged to have the opportunity to go see Chris Tomlin in concert this past year and this song stood out to me the most. It was already out on radio, but I'll be honest, I never really paid close attention to the lyrics. Until I was actually singing these words in a worship setting, they never meant that much to me. But it was at that moment that the seriousness of this declaration grabbed hold of my heart.

Just think about the last couple of lines of the chorus: If this life I lose, I will follow You. That's a bold statement to be making to a jealous God. So, my point is short and...well...to the point.

Are you aware of what you're singing while driving down the road in your car? Christian music is a great thing, but don't let it become another part of consumerism in your life.

Therefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; as obedient children, not conforming yourselves to the former lusts, as in your ignorance; but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, because it is written, “Be holy, for I am holy.”

And if you call on the Father, who without partiality judges according to each one’s work, conduct yourselves throughout the time of your stay here in fear; knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot. He indeed was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you who through Him believe in God, who raised Him from the dead and gave Him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.

~1 Peter 1