food for thought - on our hearts, within us

July 24, 2011

I will put my law within them, and I will write it upon their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. And no longer shall each man teach his neighbor and each his brother, saying, 'Know the LORD,' for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, says the LORD; for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more. Jeremiah 31:33b-34

Why is it that we wouldn't think of playing certain songs, watching certain movies, or bringing certain food &drinks to church (outside of service)? But we allow ourselves to listen, partake of, or watch those things outside of church when our very bodies are what is actually the temple of God (1 Cor. 6:19-20)? Why is it that certain things are deemed inappropriate for when we QT, when we fellowship, when we are chilling at church, etc? Why is it at the thought of spending time with God, we stop doing certain activities, stop from listening to certain songs? But afterwards, we'd be willing to subject ourselves to those things again though it says that God is always with us, and we are always to be in communion with Him (Heb. 13:5, Matthew 28:20)? Why do we choose to not dress in certain apparels when we go to worship God at his temple, but when we are outside with our other friends, we'd choose to adorn our bodies, the temple of God, with those very attires we'd dare not wear to church? Why would we choose to fast from certain things like video games, secular music, alcohol, websites so that our goal of fasting (desiring God more, having more of Him) may be obtained? But afterwards, we'll go right back into those activities that we seem to have unconsciously labeled as the very things that may be deadening our souls to God because of the impact it's had on our lives (why else do we fast from those things?)? (Food is an entirely different story as it is needed to survive, and the aforementioned activities are not.)

It almost seems to me that we unconsciously have a standard and idea of what is holy, what causes us to be set apart, what is appropriate for us within ourselves, but we at different times choose to ignore or avoid it because the situations don't seem to require of us to be more 'holy'. It seems that God has indeed written His laws, His standards upon our hearts, and it has been left to us to realize, recognize, and obey, or disobey.

This is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after that time, declares the Lord. I will put my laws in their minds and write them on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people. (Hebrews 8:10)