". . . When I sing worship songs on Sunday I am filled with joy. But how can I tell if the joy I feel is a result of the glory of God that I see rising up in front of me or if it’s a result of seeing my own worth lifted up – being the object of His affection.
In Religious Affections, Edwards quotes this:
“There are such things in [our faith] which, when a carnal, unhallowed mind takes the chair and gets the expounding of them, may seem very delicious to the fleshy appetites of men.”
Gosh. That makes my heart skip a beat. There are great doctrines and truths written in the pages of the Bible that even if I cared nothing for God I might feel my heart quicken at the sound of them. Someone who doesn’t love God at all could be filled with joy at the sound of the wonders of all He has done if they were at the center of those things. I cannot imagine any more devastating realization than the thought that all of my ‘worship’ for God and all of the affections I experience for Him are ultimately worship of self.
This isn’t designed to make you panic, it’s just designed to make you test your heart. There is only one person I know who finds their security fully in the greatness of God. And the great news is that His righteousness is wrapped around me. He is my refuge in the moments when the darkness of my heart causes me to tremble.
The goal of tracing our joy back to its source isn’t to make us feel bad about ourselves. And if it results in that kind of discouragement it’s probable that we’re finding our confidence in the flesh. The goal of pressing into these things is so that we can fight to put our worth and value in Christ alone. The heart that is found in Him experiences more joy than the heart that runs after any offer of temporal security tossed its way."
I love Fabs.
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