BE-lieve
- heartsinger1
- Jun 18, 2020
- 3 min read
"Continue in prayer. He prays within you. He prays in spirit and truth. Without words or thoughts you lay a better foundation for relationship with the Lord. The innermost portion of your being has no need to say, 'My God, you are here.' Your spirit believes. Your spirit knows God abides in you. Go then, to that place, where belief and knowing are always present. Believe." Molinos
The inward journey is solitary. This is a sticking point for some. Alone, quiet, and still are foreign to western religious experiences.
Corporate worship tends to be busy. First there's a schedule to keep. The clock is master. Second, we are either singing, standing, sitting, listening, or running around after children until they go to their own program. And each program needs leaders. Leaders who have a curriculum to teach, a schedule to keep, and the clock to pay homage to. And this is just basic small town church. Mega churches add lights and smoke machines and TV cameras.
Round and round it goes. So many words and acts flung toward God. No time for silence. Silence is awkward, like a live radio show where the news clip doesn't play when promised.
What does God want? Have we asked Him lately?
At one point He told His people that He hated all their religious activity. The sam activity He laid out for them to employ. Is God fickle? No. Everything He designed for interaction with His people, from Adam to us, is for intimate relationship. To be together.
A popular adage has been floating around leadership sites the last few years. It states:
You are a human being not a human doing.
Most articles are aimed at finding balance between work and personal life. But what does being vrs doing mean to our relationship with God?
We like to do things for God.
Why?
To prove our worth? To pay for an offence? To gain love and acceptance? To pay Him back for what He's done for us?
Is it wrong to do things for God?
How about doing things with God? Partnering with Him in Kingdom work. Praying for others, feeding the hungry, visiting the lonely, giving glasses of cold water, inviting people into our homes, visiting prisoners, helping orphans and widows.
Isn't this what Jesus asks us to do?
Yes. And we know what James says. 'Faith without works is dead.'
So how do we balance the doing and the being?
Check the motivation attached to the things you are doing for, or with, God. Be honest, with yourself and with God. To do this you will need to be alone with God. Bring each activity and lay it at His feet. Ask Him about each one. Listen. Then obey. You may have to leave some things there. You may have to repent for self-serving motivations. You will leave with new found energy for the callings and gifting of God to you.
Look honestly at the ratio of doing and being in your spiritual life. How often do you set aside personal alone time, without an agenda, with God?
Then when you do go to meet alone with God, practice quietness and deep breathing. Just BE.
Doing is not evil. Being is not super spiritual. Both are required to grow in our relationship with God and be Jesus in this hurting world.
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