Not Impressed – Week Three

I hate being manipulated. You know – when people say just the right thing to sway you in a specific direction, when someone takes advantage of you, or worse when one is deliberately false to produce their desired outcome.

Yet, as much as I hate manipulation, I find I can be skilled at it—wording things the “right” way, tip-toeing around issues, or leaving out all the facts. Excellent communication skills are a gift, but used with improper motives and aimed at personal gain, they can be dangerous. Often I bring these unhealthy tactics to the table when I talk to God. I have a plan, and I want to get Him on board. While my so-called “skills” may fool people, God cannot be manipulated. He sees right through my words. And He is not impressed.

In Ecclesiastes chapter five, Solomon gives a strong warning to anyone approaching God’s presence. He begins by instructing us to guard our steps and our lips. Instead of rushing in, we need to be aware of just Who we are talking to, and we need to come ready to listen.

Solomon continues by warning us not to make vows that we cannot keep, “Do not let your speech cause you to sin and do not say in the presence of the messenger of God that it was a mistake. Why should God be angry on account of your voice and destroy the work of your hands. For in many dreams and in many words there is emptiness.” (Ecclesiastes 5:6-7 NASB)

God knows my heart.

He is never impressed by great speeches and certainly is not affected by my negotiation skills. When I come before Him, I don’t have to worry about nuance. I can release the pressure of having it all together and lay my burdens at His feet.

Friend, you cannot twist God’s arm. You cannot fool Him. He sees your heart too.

God is inviting us to be real. No masks. No hiding. Just authentic and raw.

I think of Psalm 139, where David reflects on how God sees everything. He knows every choice we will make, every word on our tongue, every thought in our mind. David’s immediate reaction is to run away. But quickly he realizes, it doesn’t matter how far he goes or how fast he runs, there is no place to escape from God. Before David existed, God was. And God formed him in his mother’s womb.

The idea of being fully known with no place to hide can be scary. But God knows every detail of our soul – each twist and turn our life will take. All our mistakes. Every misstep. Despite knowing our darkest places, God loves us with eternal love. And He invites us into His presence.

David ends his reflection with these words, “Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me and know my anxious thoughts; and see if there be any hurtful way in me, and lead me in the everlasting way.” (Psalm 139:23-24)

True worship begins not with our many words, but with an awareness of who God is. “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.” (Proverbs 9:10)

True worship brings freedom. No longer do I have to work hard to put up an appearance. I don’t have to pretend or impress. I can just be.

True worship transforms. When we enter into God’s presence to listen and to learn, He changes us.

Are you worshiping today?