Isaiah 29:13 - And so the Lord says, "These people say they are mine. They honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. And their worship of me is nothing but man-made rules learned by rote."
God doesn't want us to pay lip service to Him. He wants our hearts, not our man-made rules.
Ever been to a church that was all about the rules? They tell you, "Well you have to do this and that. And this requires a minimum donation of such and such to show your devotion to God." Well that's not a donation, that's a fee. God doesn't charge fees for entrance into His Kingdom. And He doesn't want us to be mundane about our worship of Him. Just like God loves a cheerful giver (2 Corinthians 9:7), He loves and desires a cheerful worshiper.
Jesus told us that our mouth (our lip-service) reveals what's in our hearts, and the heart is what the Lord will examine (Matthew 15:11). We need to have love in our hearts, so that it shines and pours out of our lips and souls. I'm sure you've heard the term "rule of thumb." Our rule of thumb should be the rule of the heart. If we have things that aren't laced with love and grace coming out of our hearts and lips, then we are doing it wrong and we should seek God in prayer to turn our hearts to Him. A heart that seeks God is the entrance fee to the Kingdom of Heaven...
Dear Father, turn my heart towards You. I know I let bitterness and anger enter into my heart, and I am sorry. I cannot transform my heart without Your help, and I ask for Your Holy Spirit to work in me to truly change me into the person You desire me to be for Your Kingdom and Your cause. I pray for those that haven't given their hearts over to You. My prayer is that they will stop paying You lip service, and give themselves to the rule of the heart that Your love and grace would shine brightly from their hearts to everyone they encounter. In Jesus' name, Amen!
God Bless!!!
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