Mickey Starling: Greene Publishing, Inc.
Petty problems sometimes act as spotlights to deeper issues. I was recently watching a pastor who was discussing a fight he had with his wife over closing the kitchen cabinets. He couldn’t understand why she wasn’t more responsive to his correction and less offended.
As it turns out, the cabinet doors were only a symptom of a deeper issue. The constant corrections brought an honest question to his wife’s mind that was worthy of consideration. “Why do you notice the one thing I get wrong and ignore the 10 things I get right?,” she asked.
This question rocked his understanding of the problem and helped him to realize that his obsession over one detail was causing him to lose the pleasure of being in his wife’s presence, so he began focusing on all the things she did right and he closed the cabinets while she was out of the kitchen.
It should be a widely known fact that married people are happier when they enjoy one another’s company. But, we easily forget that marriage is meant to be a reflection of what a good relationship with God looks like. This same pastor noticed that his Bible reading and prayer time was lacking the presence of God. He had normally incorporated worship into his daily discipline, but had gotten away from it because of his busy schedule.
When he put worship back as a primary focus of his devotions, he noticed a greater intimacy with the Lord immediately. It is true that God was always in the room, but choosing to adore and appreciate Him restored a closeness that God had always desired. Could it be that God grows tired of having us search for more information and instruction about Him rather than seeking the pleasure of His presence?
I’ve been married long enough to know that my wife and I can be in the same room and share the space or we can share the moments we have together. The moments are far sweeter than the space will ever be. Appreciation makes that possible.
Hopefully, we can all get better at inviting God into the rooms of our lives rather than just weakly assuming He is just sharing space with us. Worship makes that possible. It would also be helpful to remember King David as we ponder this need. David could worship in all seasons of his life, even after being caught in sin. David knew that if he waited to get better to worship, he would never worship. His life demonstrates to us that if we choose to worship God, we become better as we practice sharing moments, not space, with God.