The basic question that everybody has
to answer is whether there is anything "above us." If not, then we are
free to do as we please. But if there is a power that is superior to us,
then that fact must be taken into account. Only a fool would ignore a
power that is greater than himself. And if, as the Bible teaches, we
have been created in the image of a personal God, then it would take an
ever greater fool to ignore that reality.
Yet we live in an age of practical
atheism. Many people may profess to be religious in some sense, but the
hard evidence suggests that most people rarely think about God during an
ordinary day. And what is worse, when they do take Him into account,
many do so with a fearlessly casual attitude. In many religious circles
these days, it would be considered high praise to say that God is "cool"
or that He's "awesome." A comment made to me recently by an email
correspondent typifies the modern religious view: "He's a really great
guy, God is." Clearly, we need to recover a sense of reverence toward
the God who created us. And it's not just "they" who need to do so; it's
also "us."
When it
comes to reverence, our words are especially important.
Granted, our words proceed from our hearts, and so there is a sense in
which we need to work first on our hearts (Mt.
12:33-37). But the reverse might
also be true. The words we speak have an influence on our hearts, and so
disciplining ourselves to
speak
more reverently about God can help us to
think
more reverently about Him. In the matter of reverence, our words can be
a "thermostat" as well as a "thermometer."
It might not be a bad idea to say the
word "God" less often and speak it with more reverence when we do say
it. We speculate about God so freely and offer opinions about His word
so nonchalantly, it is to be wondered whether we know about Whom we are
talking. Would we be such chatterboxes if we were brought before the
terror of His throne, as Isaiah was (Isa.
6:1-5)? Solomon gave good advice
long ago with he said,
"Do not be rash
with your mouth, and let not your heart utter anything hastily before
God. For God is in heaven, and you on earth; therefore let your words be
few" (Eccl.
5:2).
Real
reverence is more than a feeling.
In talking to people about
reverence, I have found that most folks think it is mainly a matter of
feeling a different way about God. But while our emotions should be
involved, that is not really the crux of the matter. Reverence means,
first and foremost,
obedience
-- complete deference to His will. It also means reticence, reserve, and
respect in the way we think and speak about Him. It mean praying to Him
humbly and fervently. It means adoring Him in the kind of worship that
can be described as
"fearing His name"
(Mal.
4:2). It means relating
ourselves rightly to His glory, being willing, at whatever cost, to take
whatever place is assigned to us in the great hierarchy of His creation.
And it means something else, too: it means
setting an example
of reverence for others.
And so, my friend, I ask you:
If you keep the
same habits that you have right now, what will be the long-term impact
of those habits on the people who have interacted with you? What will be
your legacy? By the way you've thought, spoken, and acted in your own
life, will those around you have been led to take God more seriously . .
. or less? Learning to be truly
reverent is no insignificant matter or trivial detail; it is both
important and urgent. Whatever else we may manage to do or accomplish in
this world, if we have been guilty of trifling with God, it will go ill
with us at the judgment.
"Why do you call Me
'Lord, Lord,'" Jesus said, "and do not do the things which I say?"
(Lk.
6:46).
Other Articles by Gary Henry
Obscene Movies and TV Programs
Calm Enough to Consider
Diligently Seeking God
