You are worthy of affection
You’re the radiance of all of His glory
Let adoration fill this place
You hold everything together
By the word of Your immovable power
We sing a song of praise
--Shane & Shane
Perhaps the chief flaw of society today is inaccurate value assessment. If that sounds odd or unclear, let me explain. The behaviors of our life necessarily convey the assigned value we give to this or that thing or person. Better, what we do, or don’t do, screams what we deem worthy, and conversely, that which lacks. So for some, doing whatever it takes to get a desired promotion at work—arriving early, staying late, maybe even slandering the guy or gal who’s a threat—evidences the unparalleled worth of career success. For others, a reunion with loved ones is cause for unrivaled excitement, showcasing the uncontested place of family in their life. The point is this: where our heart is, there is our treasure found. And like I first mentioned, unfortunately each of us are easily in the business of disproportionately valuing that which is here one moment, and gone the very next.
That’s the appropriate way to put it. It’s not that we assign worth to things that have absolutely none, it’s just that we give those things a disproportionate measure. Take work for example. Most of us are pretty tied up in it. We do it a lot (easily the majority of our waking life!). We often think about it when we’re not doing it. Sometimes we can’t even sleep because of it. And why? Because of what it gives us—power, prestige, a sense of accomplishment—or better, gets us—money, the capacity to purchase life’s luxuries. And because we value these things so greatly, often over and above everything else, our obsession is justified. Right?!
Another example of something we unduly weight with worth is family. That’s right, I said it. Though it’s undeniably one of life’s sweet gifts, for many it assumes a place of unsurpassed prominence. To these, nothing matters more. Nothing. Ticky-tack family squabbles, then, are monumental conflicts, and the dissolution of familial relationships? Quite literally, the end of the world. Everything in life, every decision, every action, every affection, every allegiance, revolves around family. It reigns undisputedly.
Now let me quickly reiterate that family, relationships, work, money, and the like do have value. They undoubtedly have worth. Just not nearly as much as we’re so prone to assign them. And this is exactly where we get off track, because when we overvalue certain things (the things of this world) we necessarily undervalue that which is of supreme worth, namely God. Sounds ‘churchy,’ doesn’t it? Like I get that God is God, and going to church and being ‘religious’ are virtuous endeavors, but really, what does that look like in the day to day? Shall I sew myself a burlap tunic and hit up the nearest monastery? How is treating Him as life’s ultimate treasure remotely practical? Answering these questions would be at least a start; most never get to asking.
If you get the chance, read Psalm 96. You could read a hundred others, but find this one in particular. Here are the first nine verses:
Oh sing to the LORD a new song; sing to the LORD all the earth! Sing to the LORD, bless His name; tell of His salvation from day to day. Declare His glory among the nations, His marvelous works among the peoples! For great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised; He is to be feared above all gods. For all the gods of the peoples are worthless idols, but the LORD made the heavens.
Splendor and majesty are before Him; strength and beauty are in His sanctuary.
Ascribe to the LORD, O families of the peoples, ascribe to the LORD glory and strength! Ascribe to the LORD the glory due His name; bring an offering and come into His courts. Worship the LORD in the splendor of holiness; tremble before Him, all the earth!
Each of us, meaning all of us, were created with an affectionate heart. We cannot, therefore, help but give affection; we cannot help but worship. But if we’re appropriately divvying our affections, the most and the strongest of them are landing at the feet of the Creator, not at the things He created, as good as some of them are.
This is the crux of life, the precise crosshairs of where we either ‘get it,’ or miss the mark entirely. God knew what He was doing beginning the Ten Commandments with the first: ‘You shall have no other gods before Me.’ It’s simple, to the point, but profoundly underscores our (the world’s) biggest issue. Who, or what, gets the throne in our life? Look no further than that which we value most. Look no further than that which enraptures our heart.
Join me, will you? Let us honestly examine our heart and ask, ‘Where lie my deepest affections? What do my actions say is most worthy to me? What does my time tell is most valuable?’
One last point. Our heart loves that which it knows well. The degree to which we know God directly affects the degree to which we love and worship Him. If we know little of His greatness, little of His works, if we’ve hardly experienced the sweetness of communion with Him, He will appear largely unworthy of our deepest affections. And we’ll live accordingly. But that will be a grossly mistaken perception. Conversely, if we read His word, if we hear of His great works and through them begin to understand what He’s done for us, and more, who He is, what starts as a flutter in our heart will erupt into unadulterated praise. And that will spill over into every area of life--work, family, whatever else.
And only then will everything be all right, how He created it to be: with Himself at the center, and nothing and no one else.
Oh matchlessly worthy LORD, open our eyes to see You, to see You for who You are. Draw us near; let us experience You, that we would be lovesick over You, and only You. Amen.
Grace to you, to see and savor Him,
Voice of another
No comments:
Post a Comment