The church service is almost over, the band is ending its last worship song. The worship leader asks you to bow your head in prayer, and then says these words, “God, thank you for showing up.”
Wait, what?
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As someone who has been a Christian for over a decade, this phrase continues to confuse me, and it bewilders me that we even use it.
Why?
Imagine you are a new Christian, or maybe you have just tried church for the first time, and the worship leader starts talking about how God “showed up” or asks God to “be present” in this time. Maybe those of us who regularly attend church are used to this phrase so we don’t even think about its implications. Maybe I’m just being paranoid on christian terminology.
And I definitely do not mean to bash anyone who uses this phrase or the churches that do.
But as believers, we need to be careful.
As much as boldness is required of us, so is wisdom, and we need to be wise in the fact that most of the things we say can get kind of ridiculous, if we are honest, and many of them might be a turn off to those coming to church that do not regularly attend.
Think of it like when a few of your friends have an inside joke, and you kind of know the context but they all get it whenever the joke is talked about, and no one is willing to really explain it to you, they just tell you you’ll “get it eventually.”
That sounds like…exclusion. The very opposite of what the church is supposed to be doing.
and if there is one thing the church should never be, it is an insiders club with its own jokes.
So in the name of honesty, let’s be real with ourselves:
God doesn’t show up.
Why?
Because he’s already there (Acts 17:27-28)
God doesn’t need us to ask him to be there with us,
Because he already is (Psalm 139: 7-10)
If we have to ask God to be with us, then what is the point of living my every day for him?
If I constantly have to ask him to show up.
If I am always wondering where he at.
Because what is even MORE powerful, is knowing that he is ALWAYS with you.
And what is more powerful is knowing that he NEVER leaves us or forsakes us.
What is more powerful is knowing he is NEAR to the hurting.
God gives himself FULLY to each of us when we believe in him.
Completely. The lion of Judah, all to you.
No begging or wondering.
No questioning or asking.
Since we believe God is with us always, it gives us even more power than just asking him to show up and do something.
Because God is always with you, you have confidence that he is working in your life
Because God is always with you, he holds you up by his right hand
Because God is always with you, he delights in you
Because God is always with you, his faithfulness is your reality
He is ever present.
Maybe we need to think about stop expecting things from God (because his word tells us what to expect) and start wondering what to expect from ourselves…
I need to expect myself to make Jesus time a priority.
I need to expect to sacrifice my time and money for others.
I need to expect God to do some uncomfortable things in my life.
I need to expect God to be God, and me to be faithful.
The point of all of this is to say that God is BIGGER and God is BETTER, and he does not bring us to any place in life and just leave us there. He works all things for good.
He gives his presence completely to us, every day, every second, every moment.
I want to walk into a church that says,”Jesus is right here with us, and he is with you when you walk out of this room. He is here when none of us are in this room, and he is out there when you think he isn’t paying attention.”
God doesn’t need to do the showing up, we do.
God doesn’t need to prove his presence, our lives do.
Friend, God is more powerful than any of us can imagine. He is more thoughtful and knowing and loving than we can comprehend. I for one, am thankful.
Thankful that I do not have to ask God to show up for me, because he just does.
Thankful that I don’t have to be in a certain place or of a certain status to be in his presence.
Thankful that he takes sinners and makes them saints.
Thankful that he works everything in my life for good.
Thankful that he assures his followers that he is with them, always.
Thankful that God doesn’t need me, but he wants me.
Thankful that God doesn’t ask me to invite others to his presence, but to invite them to sit at his table.
Many seats are empty, and church should never ever be a reason that those seats remain unfilled.
“I have set the LORD continually before me; because he is at my right hand, I will not be shaken.” -Psalm 16:8
“The eyes of the LORD are in every place,” -Proverbs 15:3
“The LORD is high above all nations; his glory is above the heavens. Who is like the LORD our God, who is enthroned on high, who humbles himself to behold the things that are in heaven and in the earth?” -Psalm 113:4-6
