Girlfriends in God - June 3, 2010
June 3, 2010
The Real Deal
Mary Southerland
Today's Truth
Psalm 11:7 (NCV) "The LORD does what is right, and he loves justice, so honest people will see his face."
Friend To Friend
Worship is a word we often use but something we rarely experience. Oh, we say that we are going to a worship service each Sunday but do we really encounter the living God or merely endure another weekly religious gathering? When was the last time you walked away from a worship service - changed forever - because God met you there? We misunderstand what true worship is and fail to recognize the requirements of worship.
A preacher, out for a walk, noticed a group of boys standing around a small stray dog. "What are you doing, boys?" he asked. "Telling lies," one young man explained. "The one who tells the biggest lie gets the dog." The minister was shocked and said, "Why, when I was your age I never even thought about telling a lie." The boys looked at each other and their faces fell in disappointment. Finally, one young man shrugged and said, "I guess he wins the dog."
To worship God is to see Him - truly and honestly. No, we cannot actually see His face but we can understand who He is, recognize His power and acknowledge His sovereignty. True worship takes place in an honest heart. Honesty is a rapidly disappearing attribute. Truth is hedged and masked. Integrity is compromised. "Mom isn't here" our children say when we want to avoid the caller. We silently pocket the incorrectly counted change received in the drive-through lane. Untruths we label as "small white lies" punctuate our character until authenticity is forfeited. A life of integrity demands honesty. So does worship.
Worship is all about seeking the face of God. Seeking God with our whole heart is the first step in experiencing authentic worship. We cannot truly seek Him until we are willing to come before Him in absolute abandonment, completely and totally honest before Him.
In the gospel of Luke, we find a woman who came to dinner at the home of Simon Peter. This woman came for one reason alone - she had heard that Jesus would be there. It was common knowledge that she was a prostitute with a terrible reputation. Everyone at the party - including Simon, the host - knew exactly who she was and what she had done. Simon would never have allowed - much less invited this kind of woman to enter his home. However, it was also common knowledge that when a Rabbi was invited to someone's house, others could stop by and listen to the conversation. A desperate woman, she came knowing that everyone at the party would recognize and judge her. But her desire to meet Jesus was greater than her pride.
She came openly - hiding nothing. She came just like she was, a sinful woman. In other words, as my daughter would say, she was the "real deal." No pretense. No hypocrisy. Just authenticity. She came with an honest heart and Jesus met her at that point of brutal honesty. As a matter of fact, He was waiting for her to come. He is waiting for us to come as well. The fact is that we will never experience the full power of true worship until we are ready to honestly confront and deal with the sin in our lives. An honest heart pleases God and is invited to worship Him.
Let's Pray
Father, I confess that I do not truly understand what it means to worship You in the way that You desire, but I want to worship You. I want to come into your presence with complete honesty and transparency. My heart desire is to sit at Your feet. I lay down my pride and arrogance, confessing that without You, I am nothing. I praise You and love You, Father. Teach me how to truly worship You.
In Jesus' name,
Amen.
Now It's Your Turn
- Examine your life in the light of honesty.
- Come before Him wrapped in that spiritual honesty.
- Know that He always responds to an honest heart.
- Refuse to fall back into old habits that would corrupt your newfound authenticity.
Ask yourself the following questions:
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What sin(s) have I been hiding and refusing to face?
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What action(s) will it take for me to deal with those sins honestly?
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How does sin affect my ability to worship God?
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Define honesty. Does your definition line up with God's?
More From The Girlfriends
I don't know about you, but I am so tired of lugging my collection of masks around. I am no longer willing to waste energy trying to be someone God did not create me to be. I really do want to be "the real deal." Let's pray for each other to become a woman that pleases God.
Need help learning how to study the Bible? Check out Mary's E-Book Bible Studies that you can download for your personal use and/or for a small group study. She has a study that has just been released, Winning the War with Temptation that may be just what you need to live a life of victory instead of defeat.
I Need a Friend is Mary's new CD based on the lives of Ruth and Naomi and offers eight keys to finding true friendship and learning how to be a true friend.
Mary's weekly online Bible study, Light for the Journey, is a great bible study tool as well. Check it out! A new study topic, How to Avoid the Pits in Life, begins June 7.
DON'T MISS the great sale going on this week in Mary's online store!
Connect with Mary on Face book or through email. She loves hearing what God is doing in your life!
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