Your Way, Right Away

I while back there was a fast food chain that had the slogan "Your Way, Right Away". The premise being that you don't have to eat your burger the way some guy in the corporate kitchen designed it, you could have it exactly the way you want it - and you could have it your way at a moments notice!

We have a North American mind-set that caters to the individual - this beautiful pursuit of our independence. It is founded on the truth that each of us is unique. We each have our own way of seeing the world, our own likes and dislikes, as well as our individual talents, passions and experiences. In fact, we now have schools, jobs and a service industry that take personal learning, working and consumption styles into consideration. It is all customizable to suit your personal needs. (Even our blogs!). We have become a "Your Way, Right Away" nation.

So what happens when this nation enters into a conversation with the God of the Universe? When people who can have what they want, how they want it, when they want it begin relating to a God who says: "I am the Lord your God, who teaches you what is best for you, who directs you in the way you should go." - Isaiah 48:17? I believe we enter into a question of who knows best!

Most of us would probably object and say that God really does have the last word when it comes to how we live our lives. But let me ask this question. How many times have I used my personal uniqueness as a reason for why God is pleased with me even if I do it my way? Or to put it another way - God sees my heart, so what I'm doing isn't as important as why I'm doing it.

Before moving, our previous church had an annual 30-day corporate fast. It was a great time of joining together as a community to seek God's face as we entered into a new calendar year. For the most part I loved the idea but there were two problems for me.

The first was the fact that I was born with a crazy digestive system. A digestive system that resulted in bowel surgery my first year of high school, forcing me to watch my diet over the past 20 years.

The second problem was that I hated fasting! And so, when fast time would come around each year I would be faced with the question - "Am I going to do it?".

Each year I concluded that it wasn't healthy for me to abstain from food for a whole month (irregardless of how powerful I believed God was) - so I would choose an alternative type of fast, and every year I would decide that a media fast was a good choice. Why a media fast? Probably because it was nearing the end of NFL football season and I had spent every Sunday for the past 17 weeks glued to my TV set. But it was also because there really isn't anything worth watching on TV other than football! I thought it was mostly trash and that was exactly what I thought I could do without if I was going to spend an entire month searching out the will of God.

So what happened? Each year I would feel great coming out of the fast. My mind felt clearer, my heart felt purer, and for the most part I felt better about myself. Here's the stupid thing - I don't think I once entered into a significant time of prayer during any of the fasts that I 'participated' in. I just simply kept doing whatever I felt like doing it, when I felt like doing it (except for watching TV).

So today as I was reflecting on some of the pseudo fasting I have done I was reminded of something a man who loves prayer said - When you fast you need to abstain from food. Don't do a media fast, it's not the kind of fast God prescribes for us. If we are going to enter into God's work we have to do it God's way.

I believe it is the way that many of us approach our service towards God. We think that as long as we have the right heart it doesn't matter what we do. We can worship the way we want, with the expressions that suit our likes and dislikes and we effectively sideline any activity that might cause us some pain or discomfort by saying something to the effect of "God's a God of grace - He'll understand".

I don't need to
actually bow before him
actually touch the poor
actually abstain from food
actually confess with my mouth

In the end we are left wondering why our worship doesn't draw us closer, why our hearts don't become softer, why our prayers remain unanswered and why we just can't seem to overcome our sinful desires. I believe it is because we have tried to do God's work our way - hiding behind a lie that says as long as I have the right heart I don't need to do it the way God asked me to.

Isaiah 48:17-18 says:

"I am the Lord your God,
who teaches you what is best for you,
who directs you in the way you should go.

If only you had paid attention to my commands,
your peace would have been like a river,
your righteousness like the waves of the sea."

If we are going to become the kind of people that God is looking for I believe with all of my heart that we must learn to take God at his word - trusting Him when He says I know 'what's best for you." We must stand up against the spirit of this age that says we can have God's will, Our way.