reality check

we live in a day and age when what used to be black and white has somehow become all kinds of shades of grey... things that would've rarely, if ever, been heard of happening 25 years ago in the church are now commonplace and ordinary. further still, those who might question what is happening are many times deemed "old fashioned" or "still bound to the law" etc etc... i find myself often in a struggle...wanting to be relevant, current and real yet fearing having the "form of godliness but denying its power." isn't everything about who we are and what we're doing as believers meant to be centered around loving God, holiness, purity, being set apart?? i once read, or heard someone say (can't remember) that "the closer you get to fire, the more you will burn." so it would seem to me that the argument of "i've been a Christian for so long, i can handle that now" (eg. watching tv shows with vulgar language, suggestive scenes, listening to unChristlike music, etc)...is woefully backwards. shouldn't it be the reverse? shouldn't it be that the longer i walk with God, the LESS of the worlds ways i tolerate?? the closer i get to the Fire, the more the flesh burns??

john 4:23 "a time will come, however, indeed it is already here, when the true (genuine) worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth (reality); for the Father is seeking just such people as these as His worshipers." (amplified bible)

the greek word for "truth" is reality. God is looking for people who worship in reality. worship... a word that is now sadly confused with a genre of music, "slow Christian songs", the segment of our church services when we sing... is that what it is??

romans 12:1 "so here's what i want you to do, God helping you: take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering..." (message bible)

the amplified translates it "this is our spiritual worship." everyday, ordinary life - sleeping, eating, going to work, walking around....THIS is our spiritual worship??? man...where did we get confused? when did we start teaching that slow songs is worship?

God is looking for people who give Him their lives in REALITY - work, family, words, thoughts, the dvd's i watch, the way i talk to my siblings, my attitude towards authority, handling finances... THESE are the worshippers the Father is seeking...

and when you think about it, so is the world.... the world is looking for REALITY. why do you think reality shows have become so popular? why do you think secular music is so popular?? because of its great singers with great bands and great production, etc... NO! it's because it's REAL!!! those singers are LIVING the message, walking it out to the fullest!! their singing about sex, money, drugs and they are doing ALL of it!! it's not just words in their mouths, it's reality in their lives... and yet here is the church, here is ME singing about joy but i'm sad and singing about provision but i'm broke, singing about purity but i'm compromising... and the world (even the church) sees right through my phony song (skilled though it may be) and they get disillusioned and discouraged. they want something that WORKS, something that is REAL!! real joy. real love. real purpose. the world is DESPERATELY searching for it... are they finding it in me?? are they finding a REAL Jesus in me? a REAL love in me? a REAL peace in me?? or just words, vain hope, empty promises...?

God wants something real. He wants someone real. genuine. not just a singer. not just a dancer. not just a church-goer. He wants a worshipper... a man or a woman, a boy or a girl who is LIVING the truth... walking the talk... someone who's LIFE is their SONG....

it does get confusing sometimes to know what is right or wrong in this day and age... but i'm being challenged to remember this... God wants me to be a real worshipper. that often helps me separate the black from the white... whatever conversation is true, whatever dvd's are noble, whatever decision is right, whatever music is pure, whatever attitude is lovely, whatever friends are admirable...dwell on them...

reality? check.