So, I think this is a theme that we're now going to look at from Proverbs; it is particularly helpful for this moment in time. It's the practicality of Godward living. I think we have a massive cultural problem. Yes, even in the church. We live with this spiritual, secular dichotomy in our lives. That dichotomy is assumed by way more believers than you may think. It says that spiritual things belong to the Lord; that's church, that's my tithe, that's ministry, that's fellowship with other believers, that's devotion, and everything else is secular.
What the Proverbs would confront us with is that everything is spiritual. God makes a claim on everything in my life. Everything demonstrates the condition of my heart; everything points to whether I'm serving God or serving myself. There is no dimension in your life according to Proverbs that isn't deeply and comprehensively and expansively spiritual. All of life is spiritual! You have no secular dimension in your life, whether it's family, or money, or sexuality, or your talk, or your business, or your possessions, or justice, or wealth, or government; every dimension that you find yourself in is deeply spiritual.
And so, the Godward life is lived out in all of those dimensions in your life here. Your godliness, your spirituality is not just lived out on Sunday mornings, it's not just lived out in moments of devotion. It's lived out in the way you think about your possessions, the way you spend your money, the way you talk to other people, the way you make decisions about the necessary essential things in life, the way you care for the poor and the disadvantaged, the way you think about the role of government, the way you do your business. It's all part of an expression of your spirituality.
The Godward life, according to Proverbs, is worshipful, and obedient, and submissive, and wise, and generous, and just, and merciful, and righteous, and faithful, and committed to working pure. And those character qualities, again, are lived out in all of those dimensions of your life.
I'm afraid if you'd ask many believers, "Do you have a desire to serve the Lord?" And they would think right away, "Well, maybe I should do some ministry at my church."
Well, you serve the Lord by the way you eat; you serve the Lord by the way you respond to your neighbor; you serve the Lord by what you do with the money that's in your pocket; you serve the Lord everywhere, or you don't.
And it's sad when we give the Lord this narrow, religious dimension of our lives and we claim everything else belongs to us to do with it as we will. That's just alien to the view of life that is presented in Proverbs. The Godward life is intensely practical, lives in all the places where you live and act and decide and speak and respond every day.
Where does the Proverbs say godliness lives? Everywhere in my life! Or, godlessness lives everywhere in my life! That's why Jesus said, "If you want to follow Me, deny yourself and take up a cross and follow Me; you give Me your life." That's godliness, and that is powerfully depicted in the wonderful practicality that's presented to us in Proverbs.
