The Most Important Thing

 

"What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us….Worship is pure or base as the worshiper entertains high or low thoughts of God. For this reason the gravest question before the Church is always God Himself, and the most portentous fact about any man is not what he at a given time may say or do, but what he in his deep heart conceives God to be like." - A.W. Tozer

I have encountered this Tozer quote several times this week.  I have read it often and written about it here on this blog. The fact that it has come to my attention so often this week is a good indication I need to pay attention. Particularly to four words out of this quote. Those four words - the most important thing -  have really grabbed my attention.

A. W. Tozer was a  pastor in the Christian Missionary Alliance church and is perhaps best known to us for two of his books, both now considered classics in Christian literature, The Pursuit of God and The Knowledge of the Holy. My copies of these books are well-worn and well-highlighted, and have had quite an impact on my life.

This week, being faced again with this quote has caused me to stop and think. To ponder, if you will.

What do you consider the most important thing about yourself?  Is it your physical appearance?  Or your education?  Or your job?  Or where you live?  Or your family?  Or your political affiliations?  Or your opinions? Or your loyalty to a particular sports team?

Have you ever stopped to consider that question? And have you ever paused to consider what Tozer said?  Have you ever stopped to think about what you think about God?

What do you think about God?  How well do you know Him?  What is your view of God?

Isaiah had this to say about his view of God:

"In the year of King Uzziah's death I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, lofty and exalted, with the train of His robe filling the temple.  Seraphim stood above Him, each having six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew.  And one called out to another and said, 'Holy, Holy, Holy, is the LORD of hosts; the whole earth is full of His glory.' " (Isaiah 6:1-3)

That was Isaiah's view.  What's yours?

How do we get to know God?  How do we have a right view of Him?

Once we are in a faith relationship with Him through Jesus Christ, we come to know Him better through the pages of Scripture. As we read, and as we study, the Holy Spirit opens our eyes to understand more and more about who God is, about His character and His ways.

Our right view of God is developed by time in His Word, and by spending time with Him in prayer. And we express our right view of Him by how we live out our lives on a daily basis.

May we - may I - always have a right view of who God is. And may we - may I - always express that right view in our daily living.

"Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship.  And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect."  (Romans 12:1-2 NASB)