Distant Heart
I read this verse this morning. I realized how so often I subconsciously believe that I can fool God by saying the “right things” with my lips and mouth. As long as I’m outwardly doing the right things, I’ll be fine, right? God can’t see the inner workings of my heart or the thoughts that I would never dare to speak into being. Though I would never admit that, I believe that lie in my heart.
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. Their worship of me is made up only of rules taught by men. Therefore once more I will astound these people with wonder upon wonder; the wisdom of the wise will perish, the intelligence of the intelligent will vanish.” Isaiah 29:13-14
God forgive me for doing that. I somehow think that if I pray and give an hour of my day to God, then I can live the other 23 hours for myself. God doesn’t ask me for an hour; He asked me for my life. Dr. Kapic, my Christian Doctrine professor, was talking about the passage in the Bible where the Pharisees confront Jesus about paying taxes to Caesar. The passage is found in Matthew 22:17-21
Tell us then, what is your opinion? Is it right to pay taxes to Caesar or not?” But Jesus, knowing their evil intent, said, “You hypocrites, why are you trying to trap me? Show me the coin used for paying the tax.” They brought him a denarius, and he asked them, “Whose portrait is this? And whose inscription?”
“Caesar’s,” they replied. Then he said to them, “Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s.”
As Dr. Kapic was explaining it, he did not interpret the passage as meaning that we must tithe and give God our money. The denarius that Jesus held was made in the image of Caesar — it belonged to him. Who are we made in the image of? Think about that… we are made in the image of the Almighty, and we belong to HIM. God forgive me for giving Him any less of myself. God doesn’t want merely 10%. He wants our lives. Think about that.
Published on 3 Dec 2007 at 11:33 am.
2 Comments.
Filed under Quotes/Readings.
I almost wrote a post about this too ;) Kapic hits me right in the gut sometimes…
Jess Gauley on 3 Dec 2007 at 3:07 pm.
and that 100% includes using the gifts he has given us to glorify his name. i know that i have struggled at uni with the temptation of following the crowd and applying for a high-earning job rather than following the creative gifting the Father has blessed me with. But, in His grace, at just the right time, God put me back on track in september so that I would have time to apply for the courses and potential jobs He has called me to when I graduate next year. My non-christian friends at uni think I’m a fool. Why pursue a notoriously difficult, low-income career when I will have a degree from Oxford? But God doesn’t think the world’s way. And I don’t want to either. Bless you philip for bringing this major issue to the attention of anyone who looks at your site. Too many of us try to get by in our own strength, when the Father longs for us to walk each day in partnership with him. Not for our quiet times. For our quiet times plus the rest of the working and resting day. In Him, x
Amy Mulholland on 4 Dec 2007 at 4:55 am.