Expression to and thoughts about Him

I have a weakness. Shocking, I know, but let's go with that thought for a moment or two. I like to think about God more than I like to talk to Him. For a long time I would read more books about the Bible than the Bible itself. I have rectified that somewhat, but what I am having a hard time doing is not moving into thought mode when I should be expressing my love to God.

Here is how this plays out: When I am singing with the church I may come across a line or even a word in a song that reminds me of a theological truth about God like "everlasting" or "never changing". Now, neophyte theologian and philosopher that I am, I will immediately think "eternality" or "immutability" and then go off on a mental journey into the implications of those attributes of God on His character or on me as a creature of His. And that is where I fail. Rather than taking an opportunity to talk to Him, to praise Him for what He has done or express the wonder of who He is I devolve into thoughts about Him. Now it is good to think about Him and to try to fashion a more complete (never all complete) picture of Him, but that is not where I need to go all the time. It would be like me thinking about my wife and children and never talking to them or refusing their communication to me.

That's the struggle I find when I have been invited to pray. So if you see strain on my face this Sunday that may be what is going on. Or it may be gas. You may want to pray that it is not gas.

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