"Tuning in" to God
I think sometimes we try so hard to get Christian fellowship right, church done right, or worship done right, that we take our eyes off of God in hopes to make it better. We don't need to make it better, or try and draw closer to one another, He does that for us. I love how Tozer describes it:
I had this visual in my head that I needed to get down. Forgive the crude representation, but in fact the method to the left is actually a lot more complicated than I even drew it. When we align, when we "tune", ourselves to Christ, we will naturally draw closer together. We often talk about having our vertical relationship with Him as well as our horizontal relationships with others. However, a strong horizontal relationship with our brothers and sisters will naturally get stronger the more we align with Him. We of course need to maintain our relationships here on earth. However if our eyes continue to gaze upon Him while we are in these relationships they will naturally become closer. I think the reason the body of Christ is and can be so divided is because we focus so much on our local church, rather than the church of Christ. I have issues in this area for sure.
I have a tendency to lead my small group, not let Him lead
I have a tendency to focus on my agenda in my ministry meetings, not His
I have a tendency to lead my family as I see fit, not He
Father, help me to realize that even if I think my agenda is "good", it may not be "Yours". I need to focus my energy on tuning my relationship with You and let You work in me and others to draw the body closer together. Unification is what You seek, and we can only be unified if we all turn and gaze upon You. Forgive me for straying, and I thank You for Your grace during my departures. May my gaze continue to be fixed upon You more as our journey together deepens.
Tuning,
Matthew
"Has it ever occurred to you that 100 pianos all tuned to the same fork are automatically tuned to each other? They are of one accord by being tuned, not to each other, but to another standard to which each one must individually bow. So 100 worshipers meeting together, each one looking away to Christ, are in heart nearer to each other than they could possibly be were they to become “unity” conscious and turn their eyes away from God to strive for closer fellowship. Social religion is perfected when private religion is purified." - A.W. Tozer
I had this visual in my head that I needed to get down. Forgive the crude representation, but in fact the method to the left is actually a lot more complicated than I even drew it. When we align, when we "tune", ourselves to Christ, we will naturally draw closer together. We often talk about having our vertical relationship with Him as well as our horizontal relationships with others. However, a strong horizontal relationship with our brothers and sisters will naturally get stronger the more we align with Him. We of course need to maintain our relationships here on earth. However if our eyes continue to gaze upon Him while we are in these relationships they will naturally become closer. I think the reason the body of Christ is and can be so divided is because we focus so much on our local church, rather than the church of Christ. I have issues in this area for sure.
I have a tendency to lead my small group, not let Him lead
I have a tendency to focus on my agenda in my ministry meetings, not His
I have a tendency to lead my family as I see fit, not He
Father, help me to realize that even if I think my agenda is "good", it may not be "Yours". I need to focus my energy on tuning my relationship with You and let You work in me and others to draw the body closer together. Unification is what You seek, and we can only be unified if we all turn and gaze upon You. Forgive me for straying, and I thank You for Your grace during my departures. May my gaze continue to be fixed upon You more as our journey together deepens.
I appeal to you, brothers, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same judgment. (1 Corinthians 1:10 ESV)
Tuning,
Matthew
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