When she opened the door and saw me sitting behind the table I saw the slightest hint of a smile. And quickly she put her hands over her eyes in peek-a-boo style. I looked up at her grandmother following closely behind and she just smiled with a shrug of her shoulders.
Deciding to play along, I asked "Mom-maw" why she didn't bring her granddaughter to class. My little student continued to walk slowly toward the table with her hands still over her eyes (I'm sure she was peeking a little and watching her own feet as she walked). Underneath those precious hands she was grinning from ear to ear.
The conversation went something like this (paraphrasing because my memory's not that great):
"Where is _____? Didn't you bring her to class?"
"No, she decided not to come."
"Oh no, I'm really going to miss her."
"I know, but she wanted to stay home tonight."
About that time, my little Bible class student lifted her hands from her eyes and revealed herself giggling all the while. "There she is," I said. "I'm so glad you're here tonight." And thus began our Bible class.
I do love teaching the little 2 and 3 year old children in our church family. I've said it often before, but they teach me ever so much more than I could ever teach them. Oh, if adults only had half the enthusiasm of a little child when they attend a Bible class just think how different our church families would be! Just think how different the world would be!!
Yet so often we come to class and listen halfheartedly - through eyes still hazy with sleep and minds wandering past class time - and even speeding forward past the worship hour to what we will be having for lunch. Maybe we think about how crowded the restaurant will be or what we are going to wear to work tomorrow instead of pouring our hearts into God's word.
God loves us so much! He longs to be with us. He wants us to want Him. Christ gave up heaven for us! He came down from heaven to live an earthly life, to suffer earthly pain, to be hungry and thirsty and tired and weak -- all for us. And so often we come to worship Him with only some small part of ourselves.
He gave our all to us. And sometimes it seems we give so very little back to Him. When my sweet young student hid her eyes behind her hands, she was playing a little game. She was totally innocent and joyful. Yet I knew she was happy to be there.
Sometimes we play an entirely different game. We attend worship on Sunday morning and hide behind that somehow. We pretend to ourselves that's enough. Like showing up for a couple of hours on Sunday morning is all Christ expects of us -- all He really wants from us. We use games to hide from God.
Sure, living a life for God involves attending worship. After all He's done for us and after all He IS ... our Creator and our Redeemer .... we should long to worship Him. We should have so much love for Him that the question of attending worship isn't even a question. He deserves our worship ... our devotion ... and our adoration.
Yet, if we are to truly live for Him attending worship in a church building is only the beginning. It is true that going "to church" on Sunday doesn't make anyone a Christian anymore than putting a horse in a garage on Sunday makes it a horse. I know that. It is only a start -- but it is a very important start.
That's not all though is it? No, we are supposed to be different. We are supposed to be holy and set apart. We have to remember we have been justified ... and then live like it. Please consider 1 Corinthians 6:9-11 with me.
"Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, not drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God" (ESV).
Paul didn't write this only to warn about the dangers of sin -- he wasn't only saying "don't do these things." No, he was reminding the Corinthians of who they had been. He wanted them to understand that was all past them. God had forgiven them. The blood of Christ had washed them clean and because they were now justified (made right) with God they were to live a sanctified life.
This goes for us too! See the crucifixion of Christ allowed God to make us new creatures in Christ. When we are baptized and our sins are washed away, we are His masterpieces. Literally, we become His handiwork and we have a purpose. That is "... to do good works, which God planned in advance for us to live our lives doing." (Ephesians 2:10b NCV).
As Christians our soul's desire should be to do the same good works that Jesus did while He was here. We should come to see people in the same way that He did. The world has always been in need of the Savior.
Part of our good works is in showing kindness through good deeds to others. Part of our good works is in setting an example for others by wholly and completely worshiping Him. We should show our friends and neighbors how important this is to us.
Finally, part of our good works is in teaching the gospel to those in need of hearing about our precious Savior Jesus Christ. This is something of which I need to be more mindful. Actually when you think about it - teaching others about Christ is the best good work we could do.
Attending worship or Bible class is not a game to be played.
Neither is living for Him.
For we are no longer what we once were ...
Christ above all things,
Robin
No comments:
Post a Comment