first step

The old Chinese proverb says that the first part of a long journey is the first step. And this is mine. I have never blogged before, but have been reading my dear friends Brent and Emancipation's blogs at www.lefttowrite.net and http://provokedthinking.blogspot.com/and am really inspired both by their transparency and by the encouragement I have gotten from all that they've done there.

Perhaps a bit of introduction would be good, So would some pictures and stuff, but I don't really have time for that now. I really want to post a thought that's been rolling around inside my head:

Yesterday I read the following from Amos chapter 5 verses 21-24 and it would like to have jumped off the page and smacked me in the face:

"I hate, I despise your religious feasts; I cannot stand your assemblies. Even though you bring me burnt offerings and grain offerings, I will not accept them. Though you bring choice peace (or fellowship) offerings, I will have no regard for them. Away with the noise of your songs! I will not listen to the music of your harps. But let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never failing stream."

I often wonder what God thinks of the worship I see and hear. I really wonder what He thinks of my worship and I guess in my heart of hearts I fear that this is exactly how He feels. So I re read the chapter to try to ferret out WHY God said this. The chapter title in my Bible (although NOT Divinely inspired) is "A Lament and Call to Repentance" and here's the pivotal verse to me: "Seek good, not evil, that you may live. Then the LORD God Almighty will be with you, just as you say He is" (emphasis mine)

Over and over again, Scripture tells us, in essence:
It is not about what it looks like
It is not about how impressed others are
It is not about how impressed you are
It IS about your heart.

Now my sister Faith will jump in and remind me (rightly) that although it is true, a right heart will not be without right actions like preparation for worship, modest appearance, humility etc. But it starts in the heart.

OK, so how do I straighten out my selfish (and a myriad of other issues) heart? Obey what I already know. God doesn't hold me to an impossible standard. Sure he says, "Be Holy because I am Holy" but the outworking of that is simply to obey what you know right now. It reminds me of a Chinese Proverb.

the First part of a long journey is the first step. Will you step with me?