What's your heart condition?

(photo credit: musicisart.ws)

"Eternal One: These people think they can draw near to Me by saying the right things, by honoring Me with their lips, but their hearts are far away from Me. Their worship of Me consists of man- made traditions learned by rote; it is a meaningless sham." (Isaiah 29:13, The Voice)

I don't know what day of the week it will be when you read this (these online things have a bit of a shelf life); I am writing on a Sunday morning.

There are various approaches people will take today concerning "church" and "worship".

Some will not give it a thought. The fastest growing religious group in America is "none". They will go about their day and their activities. This is just a day.

Some will make today a personal day. It is a day to relax, enjoy nature, maybe head to the lake or golf course. They may take the approach that, since God is everywhere, I can enjoy His creation. I don't need to be in a building to worship God.

Some will go to church because they always have and then they will go on about their business. They have acknowledged the importance of church attendance and made sure their children have the religious experiences they had years ago.

Some will be in church today because it is important to them to be there. Church attendance is a part of their identity. The discipline of religious traditions and activities helps to give clarity and definition to their lives. If they miss a Sunday in church they feel guilty because they are not doing their duty to God.

Some will gather with other Christ-followers today because they want to have a genuine encounter with God in the presence of others who are sharing the journey. This is obviously my preference and what I believe to be closest to what God desires for His people, though I have tried to list the others without condemnation.

Worship is an issue of heart, not activity. Activities matter, but if the heart is not right, they are meaningless. That does not mean that someone should say, "I just won't participate today because my heart is not right." That means that part of our preparation is to bare our hearts before God and ask Him to prepare us for worship.

Question: How will you draw near to God today?

Leave a comment below.  I'd love to hear your perspective.  What other approaches can you think of that I left out?