Lip Service

Yesterday at church we sang several of my favorite songs but one has lingered with me over the past 24 hours – All To Us by Chris Tomlin. I was so excited when the song started that I couldn’t wait to start singing. But about half-way through the chorus which reads,

Let the glory of Your name be the passion of the Church
Let the righteousness of God be a holy flame that burns
Let the saving love of Christ be the measure of our lives
We believe You’re all to us

it was like the Spirit closed my mouth. Could I really sing that the saving love of Christ was the measure of my life and that I believed that God was all to me? It got even worse when we got to the bridge,

You’re all to us
You’re all to us
You’re all to us
Yes, You are

No matter how hard I tried to sing “You’re all to us”; I couldn’t. It was as if God was asking me, “Am I really all to you?” I couldn’t sing any more words to the song until I confessed that He’s not all to me. His love is often not the measure of my life.

To sing that song unless it was really true felt like I was giving lip service to God. I had to confess that while I wanted those words to be true in my life, they weren’t. I want God to be all I need. But in real life, outside the church walls; He isn’t. So many things of this world – money, fame, the praise of others, etc. distract me and lead me to believe that they are all I need, not God.

That experience in church yesterday reminded me that daily I need to approach God, confessing that I want Him to be all to me but I am weak and I am sinful. I need Him to give me faith so that I will want only Him and nothing else.

During times of conviction and repentance such as these, the words of John always comfort me.

“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” 1 John 1:9