He Has You

In our walk with the Lord, we must learn to have reverence for the things of the Lord. We must learn to treat that which is holy and sacred with the great reverence that it deserves. As Christians, the way we speak and the way we act must be different from the world. People are watching us.

You’ll influence people more by living a doctrine than by arguing it. “…Be an example to all believers in what you say, in the way you live, in your love, your faith, and your purity” (1 Timothy 4:12 NLT).

When we have a proper fear for the Lord, we will develop a stronger reverence for the Lord and all that pertains to Him. We must have a holy reverence with the way we speak to Him in the privacy of our prayers or out in the open in front of others. What we do is what we teach.

Don’t enter into an argument that you are not living out. “And you yourself must be an example to them by doing good works of every kind. Let everything you do reflect the integrity and seriousness of your teaching” (Titus 2:7 NLT).

We must never make fun of the things of the Lord and mock others in how they might worship Him. Too often, I see Christians trying to be funny in order to be entertaining. We are never called to entertain at the expense of the reverence for the things of the Lord.

Never fear that men would judge you wrongly, but that God will judge you rightly. “So then each of us shall give account of himself to God” (Romans 14:12 NKJV).

I remember an older Spanish woman who used to worship near me in the back corner of a church. She would always pray with such reverence and worship with such surrender. She would raise her hands high during the worship music and bow her head low during the time of prayer.

Authentic worship is never found in a church but in the heart of the saint who goes there. “…let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire” (Hebrews 12:28-29 ESV).

On one Sunday, the church leaders played a video that made fun of the different ways people raised their hands during worship. They made a mockery of the reverent worship that the people brought before the Lord. From that day forward, I never saw this Spanish woman raise her hands the same again.

You need to live higher than you preach, not the other way around. “Dear brothers and sisters, not many of you should become teachers in the church, for we who teach will be judged more strictly” (James 3:1 NLT).

There was one Bible study at a different church where the leader was making fun of the size of a Bible someone had. Perhaps this person had a Study Bible or a Bible in large print. But whatever the reason, we must stop shaming Christians no matter how funny we think it might be.

It is to the shame of Christianity that there is sometimes more mercy to the broken and lost outside the Church than there is within. “If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself,’ you do well” (James 2:8 NKJV).

We must not make fun of the holy practices we are called to perform in the Word of God. Whether it be communion, baptism, or the anointing of oil – these are to be done with great reverence and fear of the Lord, considering the deep meaning and holy significance they have in our lives.

There are no compromises in a consecrated life. “For I am Yahweh your God, so you must consecrate yourselves and be holy because I am holy…” (Leviticus 11:44 HCSB).

I remember a time a leader was making fun of the holy practice of anointing someone with oil. They compared it to rubbing oil on a chicken before cooking it, making a joke of what we are commanded to do in Holy Scripture. If we don’t teach reverence, then people won’t learn reverence.

You cannot live by man’s standards and expect to please God. “Those who have reverence for the Lord will learn from Him the path they should follow” (Psalm 25:12 GNT).

We must be careful not to judge the heart language that others have to our Father in heaven. Whether it be different music or different ways in which they might pray, be careful not to judge what may, in fact, be pleasing to the Father. He made us all different so let others be different than yourself.

God didn’t make you like anybody else, so just be yourself. “For You formed my inward parts; You covered me in my mother’s womb. I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; marvelous are Your works, and that my soul knows very well.” (Psalm 139:13-14 NKJV).

We need to learn to fear the Lord and show Him reverence in all we do. We are not called to entertain but to disciple. We are not supposed to act like the world but to act like we know the Lord and honor Him in private and before others.  Be the example the Lord wants you to be.

There are some things you can’t teach with words but only by the way you live your life. “Above all, set yourself apart as a model of a life nobly lived. With dignity, demonstrate integrity in all that you teach” (Titus 2:7 TPT).

Blessings to you,

Paul Balius