IN THE SPOTLIGHT
When I speak anywhere publicly, I have this battle. All I want is that my words matter to someone, that they would be used to help people get closer to God. Before I speak, I just stand there praying that I don't mess it all up. The other side of it is that part of me wants people to think I'm good, that I've done well, that I'm funny or wise or 'spiritual'. I hate that battle, but it's something I wrestle with often. The thing is that this often masks an insecurity. When I've finished, I'm always disappointed that I've not done well enough.
Just recently, I told God straight after I’d finished a sermon that I'd had enough of failing, and that I'd love it if He could get someone else in. As the night unfolded, there were healings, salvation and real intimacy. As I sat back and watched the night unfold, I knew that God isn't interested with how 'well' I think I've done. He longs to meet people, turn their lives around and somehow He can even use my words to do it.
Maybe the Pharisees had something similar, but it had spiralled out of control. Maybe instead of drawing their affirmation from a close, loving relationship with God himself, they substituted it for the feeling that they were 'good' because they could follow a set of rules better than anyone else. Maybe they'd got lost, seeing their position as who they were, and were putting themselves above people as a way to make themselves feel worthwhile. Maybe I'm being too generous to them.
Regardless, they'd lost their way. They were supposed to guide the nation, teach them about God and drawing people back to Him, whereas they were seemingly more concerned with status. As Jesus says in verse 23, 'You give a tenth of your spices – mint, dill and cumin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law – justice, mercy and faithfulness.' The Pharisees could follow the rules, and do what the law said, but they'd missed the point. They'd missed the heart of the King because they were focused on measuring their obedience. They were judgemental and oppressive, and Jesus uses some harsh words, describing them as dead inside and snakes.
We look at the Pharisees and can almost get proud that we're not like them. However, it is so easy to become judgemental with people based on what they watch, or listen to, the way they speak, the things they struggle with. We can hold our habits up as badges of honour, showing how well we're doing, making people feel rubbish about themselves. Even if we don't do that, we can often slip into the trap of living lop-sided lives. Recently in our life group, we considered some important principles and elements to living out a life of following Jesus. This list contained the following:
Bible study, prayer, fasting, using finance as God would, sharing the gospel, helping the poor, service, carrying each other's burdens, being still.
As we looked at the list, we discussed areas we felt we'd let slip, as individuals and a life group. From this, we determined that we would be more accountable to each other in terms of fasting to draw nearer to God. We also looked at what we could do to reach the poor, and hopefully this will lead to vision being formed which could lead to lives being touched by God in the future.
We may not be Pharisees, but take a look at the list. Maybe make one of your own. What areas do you skim over or neglect? Determine to put things in place that you don't miss out on what God would have us do, so that we're not stuck in a routine but missing the heart of God himself.
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