In Humility

"Guard your steps as you go to the house of God and draw near to listen rather than to offer the sacrifice of fools; for they do not know they are doing evil.

Do not be hasty in word or impulsive in thought to bring up a matter in the presence of God.  For God is in heaven and you are on the earth; therefore let your words be few."

                                                Ecclesiastes 5:1-2

In the United States we have the right to many freedoms, including freedom of speech. This country was founded on principles of freedom and many have fought for, and continue to fight for those rights. I am not headed toward a political topic here, because my real concern is the freedom we have received from God and what we do with it.

The passage I have quoted today reminds me of the many freedoms that have been given to us by God, including the freedom to choose to believe in Him, to accept His gift of salvation, to be obedient to His commands, and to come before Him with our requests.

With the freedom to come to the house of God, the writer of Ecclesiastes tells us to guard our steps as we go, and rather than bring a sacrifice, we ought to come to listen. Humility. Can you come into the presence of God, offering Him nothing but your willingness to listen to Him and learn? Many of our churches today are filled with wonderful Christians sharing their gifts of music and drama, but often it appears to be a performance for the people rather than humble worship of God. While it is good to offer our worship to God, we all need to check our motivation and attitudes.

Freedom of speech is our right, yes? And God allows us the freedom to make our requests known to Him, but should we become so irreverent that we feel we can say anything to Him and it's ok? Society has become extremely informal and casual over the past few decades, respect for elders and those in positions of authority has dwindled; likewise many are complacent about who God is and who we are in relation to Him. Are we presumptuous, that we can speak our mind before the awesome Creator of the Universe? Should we not come before Him in all humility, seeking His favor and His will? Sometimes it can be a real challenge to let our words be few!

God has given us so much, yet in our sinful, fleshly nature we often get caught up in our own self-importance. Thankfully, we do have the freedom to come before the holy living God, and we do have the right to voice our concerns, but let us do so with reverence and humility - for He is God, the creator and we are His creation.

Humbly....

Linda