A Commandment of Men
There is a verse in Isaiah 29 that talks about people who draw near to God with their mouth and honor Him with their lips but remove their hearts and minds far from God, and their fear and reverence for Him are a "commandment of men that is learned by repetition [without any thought as to the meaning]," Having been raised in church, I have to confess that too often I find myself operating in that very same mode. Having grown up in a predominately Christian atmosphere, I know exactly what to do when, but sometimes I forget to even consider the "why".
As much as I hate to admit it, there is this jumble of rights and wrongs that roll around inside my head reminding me how to live and what to say. Not all of them are of God though. Some of these instructions are spot on and some are even direct quotations of scripture. For instance, treat other people in the way you want to be treated. If you can't say anything nice, keep your mouth shut. You don't have to be right. Are all valuable tidbits of wisdom. No white shoes after Labor Day. Socks and stockings should never be darker than your shoes. Plaid and stripes don't go together. While sound advice, these rights and wrongs aren't anywhere near God's Word in importance. Yet all of these things tumble around popping up in random order as various occasions arise. Could these be "commandments of men learned by repetition without any thought as to their meanings"?
An email article I read recently encouraged me to make God and His ways "the issue". The author of the article shared that too often we make sin and godlessness the issue rather than God. Let's think about that for a minute. Is this true? Yes, it most definitely is. If you don't believe me, get in a group of believers and listen to the conversation. When the topic is about sickness, problems, difficulties, stress, etc. conversations spews out with little to no effort. After all, everyone has problems to share, and do we ever enjoy sharing them! Start sharing the goodness of God, His blessings, His provisions though and a hush quickly falls over the group. Oh sure, there are a few sold out souls who express praise to God for His goodness, but on the whole, most believers shut down. They get uncomfortable. Why? Why does God's goodness and blessing make His own children uncomfortable?
What could possibly be sweeter to a Christian's ear than hearing the praises of their Savior? Is anything more beautiful to a believer than listening to others share the goodness of God? How could telling of God's loving ways and supernatural care of one of His lambs make other lambs feel awkward or uncomfortable? I can't help but wonder if we aren't in some ways like the verse in Isaiah 29 - we draw near with our mouths and lips, but remove our hearts. Dear God, please help us draw near to You with our entire hearts. May our relationship with You be sincere and real. May it not simply be a repetition of things taught us by mere men, but may it be living, breathing, a true relationship between a Loving Heavenly Father, Son and Spirit with each one of us, Your children. I pray that if any of us have been trudging along repeatedly doing the right thing with no thought as to the reason, that we will run to the cross and learn of You. Thank You for Your Word that leads and teaches us. In Jesus' name, Amen.