Something has been bothering me for a long time.
Something about mission trips, and public ministry, and faith extravaganzas.
We plan them, we talk them up, we go to them.
And they look good. They bring God into public view and seem to honor Him. Some say that they change the lives of those who witness them, and maybe they do.
But is it possible that we are also hiding behind them?
Are we hiding our own inadequacies, our own distance from God?
For whom do we travel to a distant place, dance, or sing, or preach or perform streetcorner dramas? For unbelievers? Really?
Maybe.
And maybe we do it to drag our own sorry behinds back to God.
I know this:
We stay close to the ones we love, if not bodily, then in spirit.
If we want to connect with someone we care about, we do not have far to go--they will hear a sigh, a whisper. We will not need to shout. If we want to touch them, we need only lean in their direction. They are already near.
It is the same with Christ. We need to stay near Him, too.
My lover is mine and I am His.--Song of Solomon 2:16
If we care about our Savior, we will not need any spectacular display. We draw near to Him with little prayers and exclamations, with everyday favors and tender moment-by-moment murmurs because He is already close by.
And He is there because He is our dearest love, and the place we find the beauty of holiness.
We do not need spectacular displays... how true and insightful! Thank you.
ReplyDeleteWe may go to a big weekend retreat or a faraway mission, and those are important, but they can't replace the everyday work that God is calling us to do right here in our own homes and churches and neighborhoods. Thank you for the reminder.
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing at the Thursday Favorite Things hop. xo P.S. Have you entered my latest giveaway?
ReplyDeleteyou hit the nail on the head, my dear. Excellent reminder.
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