Are you unhappy with the church? Are you disappointed in the worship? Have you gotten to the point where you just attend once in a while? When you try to motivate yourself to come, does the whole process feel like sheer drudgery? And when you are here, do the lessons seem kind of boring? Has the Lord’s Supper lost some of its flavor? Do brethren appear to ignore you? And have you started wondering how many things you could buy with the money you put in the contribution?Cheer up! You’re not the only one who has ever felt this way. One of the most spiritual men of all time, “man after his [God’s] own heart” (1 Samuel 13:14), also once lost the enthusiasm that he had formerly possessed in his love and service of God. In Psalm 51:12, he prayed to God, “Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation.”
David did that? Yes, David, conqueror of giants and author of the most devotional literature in the Old Testament, reached a point in his life where he could no longer feel close to the God he loved. What could have happened to such a devout man, to have caused him to depart from his Creator?The same thing that hindered him is working on you, if you fall into this category – sin! David wrote Psalm 51 after Nathan rebuked him for his sin with Bathsheba. “Now wait just a minute,” you say, “I certainly haven’t done anything like David did. I may have my faults—but nothing that serious.”Good. But it’s not the specific sin of adultery—or the follow-up sin of murder—that is under discussion. The point is that when a person cannot be happy or content in his relationship to God (or the church over which Jesus is head), then something is wrong, and that something involves sin. Salvation in Christ is the greatest source of elation that exists in this world. Misery cannot accompany a person walking in the light (1 John 1:7), nor can it dominate the Christian who maintains his faith in God. Even persecution cannot make us sorrowful. Those in Thessalonica “received the word in much affliction”—yet “with joy of the Holy Spirit” (1 Thess. 1:6).
Only sin in some form can rob us of the joy that is ours. David was keenly conscious of the effects that son had upon him. “For I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin is ever before me” (Ps. 51:3). He had chosen to sin, knowing that what he was doing was wrong. Any time we choose to sin, we know it is going to affect our relationship with God.Suppose I have an opportunity in the work place to make a few extra bucks via appropriation. In other words, I have the opportunity to steal twenty or thirty dollars a week, which helps pad my income (I deserve it anyway). The knowledge that I have taken that which does not belong to me just might in the way of my spiritual life. After all, how can I pray to God when He knows I am a thief? How can I praise Him when I know how He feels about sin? How can I make requests or ask that my sins be forgiven?The same holds true with a number of other sins. I know that fleshly lusts “war against the soul” (1 Pet. 2:11), but I just cannot seem to help myself. Can I have problems like these and expect God to bless me?“Well, sure,” you say, “but I’m certainly not in any of those categories. My problem is not sin; it’s just that I feel listless and lackluster about attending worship. Perhaps if the sermons were shorter, the singing was more inspiring, and we had a few plays…”
Sorry, but the problem is still sin. Anyone who is bored, listless, and lackluster ought to begin to think, “Maybe the problem is me”—instead of fixing the blame on everyone else. Perhaps the problem is not being conscious of sins that are so obvious and well-recognized as adultery, stealing, etc.But there are other types of sins, One affliction of this age is PROSPERITY. Are you absorbed with THINGS? No? Of course, we would all deny it. But really think about it. Compare yourself to what people in other countries have. Are we not just slightly slanted in the direction of materialism? It is still true that a person’s “life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses” (Luke 12:15) and that all these things shall one day be burned up (2 Pet. 3:10-12). Jesus also said that “the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word” (Mat. 13:22)The church and its worship may not seem exciting to us when most of our life is spent among the tangibles. Spiritual truths have never seemed to inflame God’s people, but they should; they are of greater substance and duration than those things of a physical nature. And the physical never satisfies; that’s why we’re always on the lookout for a bigger and more exciting “toy.” Forgiveness of sins, peace of mind, and eternal life do not seem to compare favorably with the short-term enjoyment of physical things.
Another distraction is ENTERTAINMENT. We live in the most amusement-oriented society (perhaps) in the history of the world. We have accelerated almost exponentially in the growth of the entertainment industry. A few centuries ago people might have been entertained by a court jester and a handful of wandering minstrels. Now we have “rock stars” and “move stars,” and athletes in a variety of major sports who make salaries in the millions. And how may homes havetelevisions, gaming devices, I pads and I phones?All of these things affect (and sometimes assault) the eyes and ears, the physical senses. Our society is virtually drenched in material things; spiritual concerns seldom see the light of day. When we allow the earthly to crowd out the heavenly, sin is a work.
If salvation has ceased to be joyful, if worship seems to be flat, if spiritual pursuits seem boring, then sin of some sort is hindering you. The problem does not lie with the elders, evangelists, or brethren; the problem lies within you. Even Paul, who confided that he was “in perils among false brethren,” and constantly face “deep concern for all the churches” (2 Cor. 11:26-28), wrote, “Rejoice in the Lord always, and again I say Rejoice” (Phil. 4:4). It simply will not suffice to cast the blame onto others for your problems.
Returning to Psalm 51, we find several suggestions to improve one’s spiritual condition. The first is to acknowledge transgressions (v. 3). Unless we see the sin in our life and take responsibility for it, we cannot overcome it. David acknowledged his transgressions (v.1), his iniquity (v.2), his sin (v.2), and the evil he had done (v.4).He expressed a strong desire to be right with God, but he knew that only God could help him out of the ungodly position he was in: “Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity” (v.2); “cleanse me from my sin” (v.2)’ Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean” (v.7); “Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow” (v.7); “Create in me a clean heart, O God” (v.10); “renew a right spirit within me” (v.10); “Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God” (v. 14).
David was aware that he could not undo what he had done; he knew there was no way to atone for his sins. Thus he cries out, “Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness: according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies” (v.1) David certainly knew about God’s grace (even under the Old Testament system!). He also knew that offering up sacrifices to God would not compensate for his sins; the only thing that prevails with God is genuine repentance. “A broken and contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise” (v.17). Since this relationship is between the individual and God, it cannot be faked-except by self delusion.
If you need the joy of your salvation restored, ask yourself, “Have I been praying as I once did? Have I been reading and studying the Word of God as I did formerly? What has been the emphasis in my life?” If your love and zeal for God have cooled, take responsibility for your actions. Call upon God asDavid did; call upon God to renew you. Then you will not only be right with God—but useful once again (v.13).
