Who do you praise?

It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in man. Psalm 118:8

“Mommy, what if there were churches where the people who went didn’t praise God. Instead they said bad things like God’s dead and not alive?” my son asked as he stared out the window from the backseat of the car. And sadly I had to answer, “Well, unfortunately, there are churches like that. They may not say those mean things out loud, but their actions and lack of boldness in their Christian faith scream it out to others.”

You adulterous people!Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. James 4:4

Seeing my son turn these facts over in his head as I spoke made me question just how many others are out there struggling in their faith. How many have settled into the comfort of this modern day Babylon? How many lack a boldness for Christ? The world has overcome them. Their insecurities overtaken them. They need a resurrection!

resurrection (n) –  a revival from inactivity and disuse ; a resurgence; revitalization; revival, a return from the dead

Do you need a resurrection?

People praise what  they love. Who or what do you praise? It is in the answer to this question you will find who or what rules in your heart. Is it the Lord or is it this world? It is peace or destruction? It is truth or deception? As you read this, are you uncomfortable, angry or moving your fingers towards the delete button? It’s painful and difficult to look inside our hearts and see what lies beneath the surface.

Today, I pray we are bold and courageous enough to take that long hard look. To sit in the “uncomfortable” of the moment. It is my belief and my experience that it’s in the uncomfortable we change and grow the most. We learn to seek not the wisdom of men, but wisdom from above.

But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere. James 3:17