Passion and Apathy

Of all the people in the Bible, at the moment I think I identify with, see myself in, and look up to David the most. I've been drawn to reading the Psalms recently, and I love how brutally, gut-wrenching honest he is. There are no pretenses, no empty praises. He was passionate in both his joy and despair. His complete lack of decorum and social protocol as he danced before the Lord makes me yearn for the same abandon for Him. I even think that he heard creation singing, too.

I've come a long way, but I still at times just try to say the right things, rather than drop all my defenses and wrestle with God with what is really going on. David's psalms encourage me to ask the unaskable questions, and to deal with my emotions and feelings honestly, up front, and in light of God's faithfulness and mercy.

I'm pretty appalled at how apathetic and insincere we can be as a generation. I feel like so much is going through the motions and moving our lips. Our lungs blow when we sing, but the breath of our spirit is not in them. What would our lives look like if we actually, truly, and complete loved God with all our heart, all our soul, all our mind, and all our strength? What would Sunday mornings look like? Have we become a people who come near to God with our mouths, yet our hearts are far from him? (Isaiah 29:13)