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The
basic question that everybody has to answer is whether there
is anything "above us." If not, then we are free to
do as we please. But if there is a power that is superior to
us, then that fact must be taken into account. Only a fool
would ignore a power that is greater than himself. And if, as
the Bible teaches, we have been created in the image of a
personal God, then it would take an ever greater fool to
ignore that reality.
Yet we live in an age of practical atheism. Many people may
profess to be religious in some sense, but the hard evidence
suggests that most people rarely think about God during an
ordinary day. And what is worse, when they do take Him into
account, many do so with a fearlessly casual attitude. In many
religious circles these days, it would be considered high
praise to say that God is "cool" or that He's
"awesome." A comment made to me recently by an email
correspondent typifies the modern religious view: "He's a
really great guy, God is." Clearly, we need to recover a
sense of reverence toward the God who created us. And it's not
just "they" who need to do so; it's also
"us."
When it comes to reverence, our words are especially
important. Granted, our words proceed from our hearts, and so
there is a sense in which we need to work first on our hearts
(Mat. 12:33-37). But
the reverse might also be true. The words we speak have an
influence on our hearts, and so disciplining ourselves to
speak more reverently about God can help us to think more
reverently about Him. In the matter of reverence, our words
can be a "thermostat" as well as a
"thermometer."
It might not be a bad idea to say the word "God"
less often and speak it with more reverence when we do say it.
We speculate about God so freely and offer opinions about His
word so nonchalantly, it is to be wondered whether we know
about Whom we are talking. Would we be such chatterboxes if we
were brought before the terror of His throne, as Isaiah was (Isaiah
6:1-5)? Solomon gave good advice long ago with he said,
"Do not be rash with
your mouth, and let not your heart utter anything hastily
before God. For God is in heaven, and you on earth; therefore
let your words be few" (Eccl.
5:2).
Real reverence is more than a feeling. In talking to people
about reverence, I have found that most folks think it is
mainly a matter of feeling a different way about God. But
while our emotions should be involved, that is not really the
crux of the matter. Reverence means, first and foremost,
obedience -- complete deference to His will. It also means
reticence, reserve, and respect in the way we think and speak
about Him. It mean praying to Him humbly and fervently. It
means adoring Him in the kind of worship that can be described
as "fearing His
name" (Mal. 4:2).
It means relating ourselves rightly to His glory, being
willing, at whatever cost, to take whatever place is assigned
to us in the great hierarchy of His creation. And it means
something else, too: it means setting an example of reverence
for others.
And so, my friend, I ask you: If you keep the same habits that
you have right now, what will be the long-term impact of those
habits on the people who have interacted with you? What will
be your legacy? By the way you've thought, spoken, and acted
in your own life, will those around you have been led to take
God more seriously . . . or less? Learning to be truly
reverent is no insignificant matter or trivial detail; it is
both important and urgent. Whatever else we may manage to do
or accomplish in this world, if we have been guilty of
trifling with God, it will go ill with us at the judgment. "Why
do you call Me 'Lord, Lord,'" Jesus said, "and
do not do the things which I say?" (Luke.
6:46).
Gary
Henry
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