Integrity

"I will walk with integrity of heart within my house. I will not set before my eyes anything that is worthless. I hate the work of those who fall away; it shall not cling to me" Psalm 101:2b-3. What would my life look like if I lived like this? It would be consistent, I'll tell you that. Walk with integrity within my house- In my house, you know, that place where all your ungliness comes out. That place that all the secret longings and strivings of your heart break free and all your corruption and inner turmoil emerge rearing their ugly heads. That place where you take out the hard things of your day on the people that live there with you. That place. Walk with integrity there- meaning you basically have integrity in all aspects of life and in the places where everyone else is ugly you are even more upright and after God's own heart. And then not set before my eyes anything that is worthless- such a key to a joyous life. How many things do we do that waste time, that do not glorify God. How many times am I lazy and procrastinate, shirking responsibility of things, when in reality those very things are most important and make us feel the most alive. We're anxious when we have "too much" to do and bored when we have too little- when will we cut the worthless stuff and start doing the stuff that pleases God. It's funny how God's designed things- I had this conversation just the other day that He's designed like so full circle. In the Christian life we are designed to glorify God in all things- actions, words, motives, etc. SO by doing these things we bring Glory to God, but through these areas God flips back on us the very things we all strive for- happiness, joy, peace etc. Yet we look for these things in the most worthless areas when only serving God and staying at home in Him can we find happiness, joy and peace. It shall not cling to me- when will I stop-When will I stop convincing myself or believing the lie that those outside of God have more fun or are able to do more. The work of those who fall away is wrong, plain and simple. It's not satisfying, it's not joy giving, it won't make you enduringly happy. But neither will this "God in a box" that our churches teach. Neither will the life that most Christians lead- have you noticed the astonishing number of those that fall away? I read the other day that 90% of child Christians fall away in college. SAD. I don't have an answer, simply a thought that if the Christian life you're leading is exhausting or deep down not worth it, you should reevaulate and see if you're actually worshipping the right God- the God who plants and also destroys, who is gracious but will by no means forgive the sins of the guilty, the God who controls time and space, the God who hears every thought and word you have far before it is communicated, the God who could be everything you'll ever need if you let Him. That God, that one is worth it. If only we believe.