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We do not segment our lives, giving some time to God, some to our business or schooling, while keeping parts to ourselves. The idea is to live all of our lives in the presence of God, under the authority of God, and for the honor and glory of God. That is what the Christian life is all about.
~ Robert C. Sproul
Psalm 149:1-5
Praise the LORD.
Sing to the LORD a new song,
his praise in the assembly of his faithful people.
2 Let Israel rejoice in their Maker;
let the people of Zion be glad in their King.
3 Let them praise his name with dancing
and make music to him with timbrel and harp.
4 For the LORD takes delight in his people;
he crowns the humble with victory.
5 Let his faithful people rejoice in this honor
and sing for joy on their beds.
I really like this quote from Robert Sproul. While he practices his preaching and teaching ministry in a tradition different from mine, he hits at a truth we all need to recognize. Our love of and devotion to God cannot be compartmentalized. Far too many Christians are very good at a high level of devotion on Sunday mornings while giving, as some have said, lip service to God during the week. That's certainly the message of Isaiah 29:13:
The Lord says:
These people come near to me with their mouth
and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me
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What does it mean practically to say that one gives lip service to God?
- One spends little time in prayer and spiritual reflection beyond Sunday morning
- One has no problem acting with the ways of society in the workplace or in the community while singing praise to God on Sunday
- One keeps silent about his or her faith in everyday life while worshipping regular on Sunday mornings
- One acts as if there is an ethic for times of spirituality but a separate ethic while functioning in the real world
- One talks the talk of faithful commitment to Christ and to God's will but spends little time reflecting on how faithful he or she really is in daily life
While none of us are perfect or will ever achieve the level of faithfulness God desires, this doesn't free us from diligence in seeking to glorify God as much by our lives as by our words. How we act Monday through Saturday in the world speaks much louder than our devotional practices on Sunday morning or whenever we regularly worship.
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