God on the cheap?

In a recent conversation with an uncle who loves to travel, he said he was going to spend the extra money to upgrade their seats on a flight to Egypt to business class. It’s not the cheapest way to go, but the extra cost of the wider, leather seats for such a long flight was worth the money! There’s frugal and there’s cheap! A frugal person knows how to contain expenses but factors in value. He knows that the value of a product is not necessarily measured by its cost. So, when he makes a purchase, he looks for the product that will best serve his needs within a range of costs. A person living on the cheap looks for the lowest price, sacrifices quality just to save a dime.

Some people try to know and serve God cheaply! They look for the minimum standard of participation in His work. They do their ‘religious duty’ but have little delight in Him. They show up late and leave early, so to speak. When it comes to loving and serving the Almighty Father of Glory, the statement, "Yeah, that's good enough!" has no place. How can we think we can truly serve God on the cheap? The prophet Malachi, who wrote to God’s people at a time when they were living in relative prosperity and peace, saw their half-hearted devotion, their ‘cheap’ worship, and told them they were insulting the Lord. Take a look at this lengthy passage.

“The Lord Almighty says to the priests: "A son honors his father, and a servant respects his master. I am your father and master, but where are the honor and respect I deserve? You have despised my name! ... "You defile them by saying the altar of the Lord deserves no respect. When you give blind animals as sacrifices, isn't that wrong? And isn't it wrong to offer animals that are crippled and diseased? Try giving gifts like that to your governor, and see how pleased he is!" says the Lord Almighty. ... * "I wish that someone among you would shut the Temple doors so that these worthless sacrifices could not be offered! I am not at all pleased with you," says the Lord Almighty, "and I will not accept your offerings.

... "you dishonor my name with your actions. By bringing contemptible food, you are saying it's all right to defile the Lord's table. You say, 'It's too hard to serve the Lord,' and you turn up your noses at his commands," says the Lord Almighty. "Think of it! Animals that are stolen and mutilated, crippled and sick-presented as offerings! Should I accept from you such offerings as these?" asks the Lord. "Cursed is the cheat who promises to give a fine ram from his flock but then sacrifices a defective one to the Lord. For I am a great king," says the Lord Almighty, "and my name is feared among the nations!” Malachi 1:5-14 NLT

This Scripture emerges from a time when passion for God had cooled. The temple worship was done as a matter of obligation, rather than as a matter of love. Instead of regarding their worship of the Lord God as a privileged honor, they thought it a burden. The result was that they did the minimum they felt was required to keep up appearances. Their hearts were not in what they did! And God was offended by what He saw as contempt for His Person! When a person cuts corners in those things he does in service to God, when he goes to his private time of prayers and thinks about everything and everyone but the Lord, when he mouths prayer words as a matter of rote recitation, when he attends worship services with his body, but lets his mind walk the golf course - he fails to fully honor God. Jesus challenges us to "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength’" (Mark 12:30, NIV) Anything less than our best - in thought, word, and deed- is an offense to the King of the Universe.

Let’s get practical.
When you write your offering check, is it a minimum amount or a generous gift that honors God? When you go to worship do you come exhausted from staying up late into the night watching TV or do you come with a refreshed heart and mind that is ready to sing, to pray, to hear the Word?
In your daily worship what is your motivation- to spend enough time and stay focused until you meet God or just to check off the box that says, "Duty fulfilled"? Only a fool tries to offer God anything less than his best: because He demands and deserves it. Here’s His promise: "You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart." (Jeremiah 29:13, NIV) Let's never be content to say, "Yeah, that's good enough for God!" Rather let's passionately serve Him, as is fitting for the Majestic Lord.
___________

All I once held dear,
Built my life upon,
All this world reveres,
And wars to own,
All I once thought gain
I have counted loss;
Spent and worthless now,
Compared to this.

Now my heart's desire
Is to know You more,
To be found in You,
And known as Yours,
To possess by faith
What I could not earn;
All surpassing gift of righteousness.

Oh to know the power of Your risen life,
And to know You in Your sufferings,
To become like You
In Your death, my Lord;
So with You to live, and never die.

Knowing You, Jesus, knowing You,
There is no greater thing.
You're my all, You're the best,
You're my joy, my righteousness,
And I love You, Lord.

Knowing You
Kendrick, Graham
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