Awe and Reverence

If you know me very long you will know that some things just aggravate me.

• Apathy frustrates me. 
• Anger saddens me.  (even my own)
• Complaining infuriates me.  
• Non-Compliance can get under my skin.
• Politics....well...I'm not going there.
• Trash Talking makes me want to punch someone.  
• Losing at anything makes me angry.  (See above comment on anger)
• Selfishness and Arrogance = YUCK

Yeah, there are some things that bother me.  You know what's so bad about this list - I see them in others but I also see them in myself.  These things really can bother me, but there is another one that I came across today that always gets me a little riled up.  

When we as Christians approach the throne of God with a flippant attitude.  I always tell my students about the guy that once prayed for a group of us and he prayed to JC. I was a new Christian, I didn't know who this guy was talking to.  Some Heavenly Rapper??? Apparently, it was Jesus Christ. (JC)  Now I confess to you I am a nerd of the first degree and there is not a cool bone in my body.  My hipbone isn't even HIP!!  But really??? The one who died on the cross for my sins - the one who is eternal - the one whose name is above all names - and we're going to call him JC? I don't think so.

Now for most of us, we don't pray to JC, and if you do...well...keep reading.  But, we so often approach God in the same attitude. We act like Jesus is just this cool, loving dude in Heaven and His daddy is Santa Claus and when we need Him we ask Him for stuff.  We pray every now and then, only when we need something.  We come to worship services at our church looking to be entertained as if we are the audience, when we should be coming to worship services to sing to the Audience of One.  So what if it's not our favorite song?  It's not for us anyway.  We are afraid to lift our hands in adoration because __________________ (insert one of the many reasons why).

We approach God with such flippancy, apathy, and familiarity.  Do we see any of the Godly men and women in the Bible approach him that way?  Do we see Jesus approach the Father that way? Indeed we can cry out to God “Abba Father” but let us not forget that it says in “Hebrews 12:28 - since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, (29) for our “God is a consuming fire.”

Approach the throne today with awe and reverence.  Wednesday Night and Sunday when you attend your local church (and I sure hope you do), worship Him with awe and reverence.  Do not worship yourself.  Study His word with awe and reverence.