Just a closer walk with Thee,
Grant it, Jesus, is my plea,
Daily walking close to Thee,
Let it be, dear Lord, let it be. -Anonymous I think (no matter what kind of music is your taste), singing in church is, for many, a favorite part of the Sunday Service. Do you ever consider the songs you sing in church to be anything more than words of comfort, or something you like to hear because it triggers a warm memory? Consider, for a moment, what your life might look like if you took those words seriously, as a vow you sing every time you gather to live according to the words of the song or hymn. Or, better yet, what if that was considered a tool of the Spirit to draw you in to the Scriptures, so that your walk with Christ may be just a bit closer?
Yet many of us wear our faith as a Garment, easily put on, easily cast off. We want to be close to Jesus at church, but what of the rest of our life? Are you close with Jesus at work, school, in your car with the music playing, or anywhere else you go? Like the words of a song sung at Sunday Service (say that 5 times fast), they have no meaning if they don't reflect the way we live. It's like the Bibles many believers across the land own: it's like a trophy in the case, which states "I was active in a sport once, but I don't play much anymore." Or worse, our Bibles are like participation trophies, we get one for showing up, but it's not used and reflected in every part of my life.
God wants to be Lord and Master over each and every point of our lives. He doesn't want some. He wants to be near to us. He wants to shape and mold each facet of our lives, because we, designed in His image, exist to demonstrate His glory. When we collect trophies, but don't exercise our faith, we build a faith based on our own achievements. Seek to be near to God. Seek His will, and His transformation. It won't be easy, but it will always be worth it. 1 Peter 2:1-12 So put away all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander. Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation— if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good.
As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. For it stands in Scripture:
“Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone, a cornerstone chosen and precious, and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.”
So the honor is for you who believe, but for those who do not believe,
“The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone,”
and
“A stone of stumbling, and a rock of offense.”
They stumble because they disobey the word, as they were destined to do.
But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Once you were not a people, but now you are God's people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.
Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul. Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation.
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