Reader Eduardo Flores sent in this comment:
“Douglas Kelly from Reformed Theological Seminary said, “The only thing we can offer God is Christ’s obedience“. When we meditate on that, we find the beauty of that statement. As Isaiah 64:6 says, all our rightgeous acts are like filthy rags to God (NIV). The only thing that God sees in us (those who are united to Christ) is Christ’s obedience and love for the Father. That is the only reason we can come to Him.”
It’s easy to start thinking we can impress God. As humans we try to impress people on a regular basis. We get used to people responding positively towards us when we tell jokes or work extra hours. We’re so used to it that we hardly even think about what we’re doing.
But stop for a minute and consider God. Do you really think he’s someone we can impress with our behavior or ceremonies? Do you think God really has a musical preference? Does he like knock-knock jokes? Is he impressed when you work 70-hour weeks? Those are just “things” and God is not a God of “things” he’s a God of relationships. The bottom line is this: there is nothing we can do to impress someone who has existed for all time. And even if there was, he’s seen it by now!
The minute we start believing God is impressed by our methods, our music, our prayers, or our language is the moment we separate ourselves from God. The more distance we have between us, the harder it is to establish that relationship. By focusing on “doing” we are telling God that we are more important than he is. And how could that ever be true? In the end, the best we can hope to “do” is to love God. And fortunately that’s what God asks of us. He doesn’t ask us for fancy prayers, or elaborate ceremonies. We don’t need a stand up routine or polished resume to get into Heaven. He just wants us to love him in our hearts. Because he knows if we do that our lives will never be the same.
