training wheels.

I keep looking at that "problem of perfection" blog of mind and it kind of bothers me. Well, really doesn't concern me, kind of makes me laugh. When you think about it, we won't be perfect until we get to heaven. I mean seriously.
And I've really come to learn that it's not our actions and behaviors, habits, practices, and whatnot that gets us to a place of "perfection," also known as righteousness. The gospel is not about us accepting Jesus as our Lord and Savior, and Him leaving us alone to do our own thing, trying to do His thing. He doesn't ask us to advance His Kingdom with Him not the ruling King. Think of it this way.
A young boy gets a bicycle for Christmas. It's a nice, expensive, versatile mountain bike, but it's too big for him, and there are no training wheels.
What kind of gift is that? Now, on the other hand, another young boy gets a bike small enough for him to ride, and, it has training wheels. Ohhhh yeah. Now we're in business.
Jesus said, "Don't bargain with God. Be direct. Ask for what you need. This isn't a cat-and-mouse, hide-and-seek game we're in. If your child asks for bread, do you trick him with sawdust? If he asks for fish, do you scare him with a live snake on his plate? As bad as you are, you wouldn't think of such a thing. You're at least decent to your own children. So don't you think the God who conceived you in love will be even better?"
(Matthew 7:7-11, The Message)
The point I'm trying to make is that we really do not have to rely on our strength, merit, etc. Jesus has enough strength for us when we're weak, He has grace when we fail, He is faithful when we are absolutely faithless.
You don't have to depend on yourself to engage in meaningful worship, to study the word. You put yourself out there, and you won't be disappointed.
"But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him."
Hebrews 11:6. That's a promise of God. Stand on that promise.

The sound of silence.

Ecclesiastes 5:1-5 is beginning to go down as one of my favorite passages of scripture...
¹ Guard your steps when you go to the house of God. Go near to listen rather than to offer the sacrifice of fools, who do not know that they do wrong.

² Do not be quick with your mouth,
do not be hasty in your heart
to utter anything before God.
God is in heaven
and you are on earth,
so let your words be few.

³ As a dream comes when there are many cares,
so the speech of a fool when there are many words.

⁴ When you make a vow to God, do not delay in fulfilling it. He has no pleasure in fools; fulfill your vow. ⁵ It is better not to vow than to make a vow and not fulfill it.

I love this passage so much because there seems to be so much pressure in the church to always have something to say. Something encouraging, something prophetic, a Bible verse to share, anything. And sometimes (in my case, usually) we don't. There's nothing we can say. There's nothing we have to say.
I love that first verse...Go near to listen rather than to sacrifice...while worship is such an important part of our lives as believers, the best, richest thing is to learn. David, a true worshipper after God's own heart, would say to God, "Teach me Your ways." (Psalm 25:4) I daresay David was the master of this art, because while so often he says, "praise the Lord, all your people! Laud Him, etc.." he gets down to business and says, "Lord, teach me Your ways."

That, I firmly believe, should be the cry of all worshippers' (and in that, all believers, given we're all worshippers :) ) hearts. Because since worship begins with God, we can't possibly worship until God teaches us something about Himself--worship is a response. Worship is a response to who God is, and we know who God is through two ways--the Bible, and Jesus. The Bible teaches us what God has done, and Jesus teaches us who God is through His life. That is the initiator of true worship.