Empty Worship
“In just a little bit, Jesus is going to confront him (the Pharisee) and say, ‘You’ve been thinking of yourself in the wrong category.’
But don’t we do the same thing? In our head we think, ‘I am more holy than they are. I am religious and go to church, they are not. Therefore, I am good and they are not.’ We are just like this Pharisee…” ~ Pastor Tony Walliser
Read Luke 7:36-50
Empty Worship
“Turning to the woman, He said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave Me no water for My feet, but she, with her tears, has washed My feet and wiped them with her hair. You gave Me no kiss, but she hasn’t stopped kissing My feet since I came in. You didn’t anoint My head with olive oil, but she has anointed My feet with fragrant oil. Therefore I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven; that’s why she loved much. But the one who is forgiven little, loves little.””
~ Luke 7:44-47 NIV
Empty Worship… That’s where I was. Empty Worship.
Standing in church. Singing great songs, but worship had nothing to do with it… really. Don’t get me wrong, I loved the music. The lyrics were great, God-centered words. But at that time the words were empty. I’d have a smile on my face and would sing the songs, but felt like that was all I was doing – singing words that hit the ceiling and not necessarily God’s ears.
And deep inside my heart would ache knowing I wanted more in my worship. Wondering why God seemed so far away.
Empty worship.
Then, when I would pray about the distance, along with my checklist of all I wanted God to do for me, the prayers seemed to go no further than the ceiling. And my heart would ache as I continued to wonder why God was so far away.
Empty worship.
I would even read the Word to prepare for a class or to write a devotion, and the words seemed to take on a Solomon-esque “There’s nothing new under the sun” meaning. I had read it all before and nothing new was entering my mind or heart. And I would wonder why God seemed so far away.
Empty worship.
Until finally, I got away from life. Got away from family. Got away from the noise and the calendar, and stepped away for a day.
And that’s where reality stepped in – It wasn’t God that had moved. It wasn’t God that was so far away, it was me.
Like the Pharisees before me, life had become all about me.
It was all about rules I should follow. Things that I should do. The person I should be. So, I put God in my pocket or kept Him in my Bible and would try to pull Him out when it was convenient or when I needed something. Then I would go on with life trying to do life my way; after all look at all that I had done… look how far that I had come.
Worship was empty because my focus on worship was on me and what I might get from it and not about God and all that He is… not about Jesus and all that He did and does…
Worship was empty because I was too worried about filling me… instead of pouring out and worshiping Him – the one who could and would wash me clean and fill me again.
Like the Pharisees before me, my worship was all about me… even when standing face to face with Jesus… even when surrounded by those who truly worshiped the King of kings and the Lord of lords, my worship was empty.
Is it any wonder that the stones didn’t cry out?
Maybe you’re at that place now. Where you are distracted and distant…
Stop… take a moment… empty yourself, your heart, your mind… and give it all to Jesus. Tell Him how magnificent and wonderful He is. Tell Him of your gratefulness. Thank Him for His grace and forgiveness. Sing Hosanna, Hosanna to the Son of God, who was and is and is to come.
Pour yourself out and let Him fill you up again. His grace and forgiveness are waiting.
“Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.” – James 4:8 NIV