I recently started reading the book "Multiply" by Francis Chan. I've owned the book for over a year, but for anyone who knows me, I own a lot of books- AKA, there are a lot of books I haven't actually read. I was prompted to read this book after a conversation J and I had a few weeks ago. I haven't read much of the book yet, but it has definitely made me stop and think about the way I live my life versus the way God calls me to live my life.
In the opening pages of the third chapter called The Heart of a Disciple Maker, Chan says this:
"If God cared only about religious activities, then the Pharisees would have been heroes of the faith. They were continuously engaged in ministry: they vigorously pursued outward demonstrations of godliness; they made sure the people around them kept themselves holy; and they diligently taught the law of God. And yet the Gospels present the Pharisees as villains."
In essence, the Pharisees presented themselves as perfect. They followed "God's laws" and made sure others were doing the same. They weren't afraid to speak up when people weren't following the commands supposedly from God. And people were impressed by their knowledge. But, in Matthew 15:8-9, they get called out.
"These people honor me with their lips,
but their hearts are far from me,
They worship me in vain;
their teaching are merely human rules." (NIV)
The Pharisees were putting on a show. They wanted others to notice them and all of the good they were doing, but Jesus says it was all in vain. Their hearts were nowhere near him. While they knew a lot about God, they didn't know God. Did they care to know God? Or was the show good enough for them?
When I read the passage above from Chan, I read it. And I read it again. And I read it again. It made me stop in my tracks.
"If God cared only about religious activities..."
You go to church. You teach Sunday school. You help in the youth group. You pray (most often when things aren't going your way). You dust off your Bible when you have time (once a month is good, right?!?)
Don't get me wrong. Those are all great things. But those aren't necessarily the things God wants from you. He wants a relationship with you.
It doesn't matter how much time you spend in the Bible if it isn't resulting in a closer connection with him.
It doesn't matter if you give two hours every Wednesday night to help with the youth group if it isn't to benefit His kingdom by helping others draw closer to him and drawing closer to him personally.
Prayer isn't to get your way. It's to give your way over to God. He gets control, not you.
Nowhere does God say, "Do all of these things to have a relationship with me." Religious activities are not the answer to having a heart for God if you aren't using these activities for the right reasons. He cares more about what is in your heart and who you are.
"Come close to God and he will come near to you." - James 4:8
"They vigorously pursued outward demonstrations of godliness..."
This is the part that stopped me in my tracks. The Pharisees wanted to look good. They did everything in their power to look good. But, it was a demonstration. Something they had put effort into and planned so they could look good. It was a facade. It wasn't necessarily who they were. Does anyone truly know what they were like behind closed doors? In their own homes?
Which brings me to what stopped me in my tracks. Do I put on a facade? Do you put on a facade? If we're being honest, the answer is, "Yes". At least I know that would be my answer. I can think of things I hid from people in years past because I knew they were wrong. Are there things I could admit to in my life right now? If I said no, I would be lying. But, I put on a lovely facade. You would have to search for quite a while to find someone who knew the truth about most of what comes to mind and I can't guarantee you would ever find such a person.
Why is this?
It's because as Christians, many of us have been taught that we are to be different from the world. We aren't supposed to do things that people of the world do. And when Christians come out with their faults, they are often called hypocrites. Then they lose their credibility as a witness to non-believers and sometimes even fellow believers (this is a sad truth about the church).
So, this is where I put on my show and make it look like I have it altogether. I know how a follower of Christ is called to live and I don't stray from that. Or so I make you believe...
God doesn't want a facade from me, from you, or from anyone. He wants to see the real you and he wants others to see that person as well. It is the only true way we can grow closer to God. When we hide our shortcomings, we essentially say that God cannot help us. And that prevents us from coming closer to him.
"The Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart."
- 1 Samuel 16:7
What facade(s) are you putting on? What do you need to give over to God?
