Saying All The Right Things

Last Sunday, we were in the service and the pastor made mention a person he knew that was praying and everything that the person sid in their prayer was all the standard prayer phrases usually said by the majority of people. He made mention that he lost his concentration in the prayer and began waiting for another common phrase to be prayed in this person's prayer.

I think that really hit home with me, not only in prayer but in life. I saw a lady I knew from a church I used to belong too in the grocery store. She recognized me and I recognized her. We said hi, how are you and then went on our way. That encounter left me unaffected in the sense, if I had seen her or not seen her no impact would be made. My life is neither better nor worse for the encounter. I have to ask, should it be?

In that encounter, we said all the right things. We asked about each other, greeted and departed. No real emotion, no real commitment, no real anything.

How many times do I have that kind of encounter with God? How many times do I say all the right things, but with no emotion at all. I don't show any of the real me. I don't reveal what I am really thinking, really needing, really lacking in; I just say all the right things.

I walked away wondering about what I lacked, but did the other person also feel that way? Unfortunately, there is really no way to know if she felt the same way. There is no really polite way to say to someone, hey when you said all the right things to me with no real emotions, did you feel empty afterwards? There is really no way to explain what I mean face to face with the person without possibly offending them.

So, I feel convicted about my approach to others and more importantly, my approach to God. How much has God been hurt by my saying all the right things approach. God has to be saddened by my inability to be more real, honest and loving to him.

How much has he suffered by my selfish side? How much has he wanted more from me and had to settle for the bare minimum?

I know what I have to do, it is just the matter of doing it. I know that I need to share my heart with God and more than just what I want and what I need. I need to share my real desire to be his child, loving him and learning about him and how I can live with him being in the center of my life.

I need to learn how to live the right things, not just say the right things.