We recently had a Revival during which one of the messages, entitled, "Purpose or Pleasure", spoke to me in a powerful way. During that message I realized how easy it is for us to forsake one for the other, even with the best of intentions. Sometimes our idea of what God wants from us becomes skewed by what we want and we don't even realize it. The Word was so powerful that it drove me to a good place. A place of repentance. I believe that one way we can pursue purpose over pleasure is to live a life of continual repentance.
That kind of thinking messes with traditional religious thinking because we tend to think of repentance only in terms of coming to Christ at salvation. But the truth is that every substantive move of God begins with hearts of repentance and the fact is that no matter how "good" we get at serving God, (at least according to our thinking) the more we can find to repent of daily and it isn't a thing of condemnation but rather desire to step closer.
I woke up today with a thought that I know was Spirit driven. God was speaking and what I heard was this, "What will you pour on me today?" I thought that was sort of funny as I am accustomed to asking God to pour into me! Then, as I began to think on the question, the story in Luke chapter 7 began to enter into my thinking. In that story, Jesus is being received into the Home of an apparently prestigious Pharisee. While there a Woman, that Luke described as immoral, heard Jesus was in the house and went home to get the most precious thing that she had. An Alabaster box of perfume. As she entered the Pharisee's house, and depending upon which version you read, she either stood or knelt at His feet. And poured the perfume on Jesus feet as she also wept on and kissed them. Truly one of the most powerful images of worship in the Bible but as I was thinking on it, I felt God urge me to read it again and see what I was missing. (it is interesting what you can still miss after years of following)
Upon reading the accounts in several versions the thing that jumped out at me was this. We've always had this image of her sitting or kneeling at his feet but the account in every version actually reads that she either stood or knelt at His feet while being behind Him. Kind of changes the imagery we often associate with it, doesn't it? Here is this Woman that the community considers to be immoral, She hears that there is one that can truly help with her life but in bringing herself to Him, although she brings the very best that she has, She can't even face Him. The rest of the remarkable story is that she is forgiven every sin and the ones that stood in judgment of her were literally put to shame.
Then the Spirit of God began comparing and contrasting what we present as worship today, with this story. What do we bring to worship? Sadly, I believe that we often bring Him our leftovers. Whatever is left of our time, our finances, our commitment and our service. We show up expecting blessings, many times expecting the one who blessed to do so within our time frame. We've taken our humbleness and traded it for arrogance. Yes, I do know who I am but if I ever forget that who I am is because of what He has done, then I am in the saddest state of all. There are people in the kingdom today that make arrogant and self-centered demands of a God that we, in and of ourselves, don't even have the right to approach from behind and we bring nothing of ourselves in the process, except for our greed for more. The best that I have is nothing in His sight but does that still excuse me from not presenting it? I think not.
Don't get me wrong, I know I am forgiven and I should live my life in that manner. I know His word is for me and that I can proclaim and declare it boldly. I know that as far as my enemy is concerned, I am the righteousness of God in Jesus Christ. What I am speaking of is in how we approach God in our worship of Him. I want the best that I am to be broken and poured out upon Him. I want to always see Him as my kinsmen Redeemer, the one who paid the price. I want my worship to be all of me without giving thought to tomorrow or the cares of the day. Yes, I can approach His throne with Confidence but that should never translate into arrogance.
The greatest part of the story to me is this. It did not matter to Christ what the world thought of this immoral Woman. Maybe we can still learn lessons from that?
