Perfunctory

Does God ever ignore our worship? The answer is yes. In Isaiah 58 we see that very thing. In verses 2-4 specifically the scripture says:

“Yet they seek me daily, and delight to know my ways, as a nation that did righteousness, and forsook not the ordinance of their God: they ask of me the ordinances of justice; they take delight in approaching to God. Wherefore have we fasted, say they, and thou seest not? wherefore have we afflicted our soul, and thou takest no knowledge? Behold, in the day of your fast ye find pleasure, and exact all your labours. Behold, ye fast for strife and debate, and to smite with the fist of wickedness: ye shall not fast as ye do this day, to make your voice to be heard on high.”

Why does God ignore our worship? That’s what the people in Isaiah’s day wanted to know. They asked— Why are we fasting then, and you don’t even notice? Why should we humbled ourselves, if you don’t pay any attention to it? God’s answer: He ignores our worship because we’re self-centered. We’re only doing it when we are desperate, and only to get something. Notice the text says in verse 4— “Behold, ye fast for…” The word “behold” means ‘pay attention, listen up‘. Why does God not show up?

Notice the phrase— “in the day of your fast ye find pleasure”. They were seeking their own pleasure in it. They had an agenda, and it wasn’t God. Their motivation was off, and our motivation matters to God. The ‘why’ always matters. The thing is… you can’t hide that from God. He knows the heart. You can even fool yourself, but you can’t fool Him (1 Samuel 16.7, Galatians 6, James 1 and 4). Yes, even spiritual actions can be done with selfish motives. Trying to fast just to get something or looking humble, will not work. It is not a religious thing to do, it is a relational thing to do. God even asks the question— “wilt thou call this a fast, and an acceptable day to the Lord?”(5). You call this acceptable?

You see it don’t you? With this way of acting, God is an optional add-on, or worse, He’s treated as if He can be fooled by appearances. In a relationship this is called surface acting. That’s unacceptable in any relationship, much less with the One who died for you. Just in case you were wondering… Yes, we’re just like the Israelites who asked— ‘Why don’t You care, don’t You see us fasting? Aren’t You impressed by our actions?’ God refuses that treatment. He sees right past the pretense. That’s why authentic fasting is prescribed in Scripture. It elevates our hunger and passion for God. It helps us deny our distracting pleasures, which allows us to see God afresh. We cannot pursue everything our heart desires and God. It won’t work. He knows it and this is why He instructs us to do it, and do it right. If we don’t “seek first the kingdom of God”, whatever else we’re seeking first will be idolatry (Matthew 6.33). The opposite is what we see as prevalent today— “Whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things.” (Philippians 3.19). “whose God is their belly” is the problem here, “minding earthly things”. 

This explains why there is so much spiritual apathy in American churches. We tend to think our material possessions are a sign of God’s blessing upon us. We think a plate full and a bank full is a sign of how spiritual we must be. I mean, we must be doing good if everything works in our favor, right? The problem is, it’s a lie. Secondly, it’s a trap. The opposite will haunt you too. When the bottom falls out, or maybe a simple tire goes flat, we think we must have slipped somewhere. ‘What God-point did I forget to check off?’ Have you ever considered that the ‘wants’ we receive can become more of a judgment than a blessing. Instead of bringing about our humble attention, having so many wants met often results in a greater indifference toward God, and interest solely in our own pleasure. When our worship is focused on selfishly expecting something to inspire us or push our spiritual happy button, God won’t participate. This is why we act perfunctory. Perfunctory is ‘an action or gesture carried out with a minimum of effort or reflection’. That describes almost all so-called spirituality today. God help us! Be merciful to us Lord. Forgive us for this. 

Our self-centeredness is killing us spiritually. We must remember that worship is not for us. Worship is for God. As long as you come to receive something rather than coming to serve and worship Him, we will walk out empty and disappointed. It doesn’t matter the gathering place, give it time—even when those around you are meeting with God in powerful, life-changing ways, there is something wrong still. It is our own self. Self is and always has been the problem. Consider changing that. Give up some control, or all of it. Stop listening to the worldly carnal ‘christians’ for advice on God. The masses appear to stop for worship, yet their little machine keeps going. They are thinking of all the world-stuff while they sit in church! While they are with their families. Put down your phone. Fast. Stop. Focus. Take a day off. Make God the priority again. 

Your phone, tablet or laptop is always on, and you never really stop working. Will the world stop if you stopped? Nope. It will gladly mow right over your grave while pulling more down with you. Who’s running this system we’re trapped in? Isn’t the “god of this world” Satan? Do you think he has your best interest in mind? The complete opposite is found in verses 8-14. God does have your best interest in mind. He looks to “break forth” glory on you. He knows what He has created, He knows better than we what our body and mind needs. Why would we fake it in God-worship, so we can get back to what we really live for? Am I here to worship God, or am I expecting Him to be here for me, supporting my real desires? 

Personally, I want God to hear me. I want to please Him. I want the best and most I can have with Him. Therefore everything and everyone is on the chopping block in my pursuit for more of Him!

What would you consider shutting down to give your full and focused attention to God alone?