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Giving God Your Worst
by: Dianne Smith*
Chapter 2 - Offering Our Worst To God
In talking with women over the years I have come
to realize that many Christians, while well meaning, place a terrible yoke upon women.
Often times this bondage comes from those in leadership positions within the church.
Ministers need to keep their churches running smoothly. To do this, they need willing
bodies. And so, unintentionally, they equate performance with spirituality. They challenge
us to strive to become all that we can for God. Give God our best (which translates into
attending church and singing in the choir, teaching Sunday School, etc.) and we will be
rewarded. But God doesn't want our best - he wants our worst.
Making this statement may place me in the category with blasphemers and heretics. But,
upon closer examination the Biblical truth of this statement stands. Let's look at the
parable of the Pharisee and the tax-gatherer. But to fully appreciate this parable, first
you must know what each of these men stood for in Christ's culture.
The Pharisees were priests who taught in the synagogue. They knew the laws laid down by
Moses forward and backward. Along with the laws of Moses, the Pharisees created traditions
and rituals of their own which they imposed upon the Jews. They themselves observed all
the laws, traditions and rituals with passionate zeal. They often made a point of
displaying their spirituality in public so everyone would take note that they were indeed
holy men. To the average Jew the Pharisees were esteemed as "super spiritual."
Just as the Pharisee represented all that was "religious" in the Jewish culture,
the tax gatherer represented all that was despised. He was a traitor who collaborated with
the Romans in order to get rich at the expense of his own countrymen. Most tax-gatherers
not only collected what Rome required, but used extortion to collect extra for themselves.
So despised were these men that in Jewish law they were treated as traitors and robbers;
they could not testify in court, nor could their money be accepted by charities!
Speaking of these two men Christ said: "Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a
Pharisee and the other a tax-gatherer. The Pharisee stood and was praying thus to himself,
‘God, I thank Thee that I am not like other people: swindlers, unjust, adulterers, or
even like this tax-gatherer. I fast twice a week; I pay tithes of all that I get.’
But the tax-gatherer, standing some distance away, was even unwilling to lift up his eyes
to heaven, but was beating his breast, saying, ‘God be merciful to me, the
sinner!’" Christ went on to say, "I tell you, this man went down to his
house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself shall be humbled,
but he who humbles himself shall be exalted." Luke 18, 10 - 14
If I had been laying bets on who had God's ear it would have been a sure thing for the
Pharisee. He certainly had a great resume! But, as Jesus did so many times in his
ministry, he made it very clear that performance without out a pure heart is worthless to
God. The condition of our heart is what counts. It is so easy to point to these men of
2000 years ago and pass judgement. Yet, is it possible that we can become like the
Pharisee in our service to God? I think without even realizing it, many of us do good
works so we can come to God and, like the Pharisee, attempt to impress Him with our
offerings while we shield our hearts from His touch.
CONTENTS
Online Books Index
1. Joining The "Club"
2. Offering Our Worst To
God
3. Cleaning House
4. Taking On The Devil
5. The Painful Truth
6. I Can’t Forgive Myself
7. The New And Improved Dianne
8. The Death Of Martha Jo
9. From Sinner To Saint In One Easy Step
10. Loving Or Lying
11. Dying To Be Humble
12. The Truth Shall Set You Free
13. Forgive And Forget?
14. Our Strength Is In Knowing Our Weakness
15. Climbing Our Way To Spiritual Pride
16. The Issue Of Control
17. God’s Up-Side-Down Kingdom
18. The Heart Of The Matter
19. Without Guile
20. Postscript
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