Are You Just Showing Up?

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving, but you probably haven’t made any plans yet. Right? You won’t decide until the last minute where you want to go and with whom you’d like to eat—you’ll just show up. Right? Well, of course not! By now your plans are set—time and menu have been determined! You wouldn’t dream of just showing up at a friend or relative’s house.

Unfortunately, I think a lot of Christians approach God with a “just show up” attitude. Recently, I asked a man “where do you go to church?” meaning where are you being taught, where do you fellowship, engage other believers, use your gifts? He said “I go to [such and such] church, but I am not a member; I don’t belong to any small group; I just go there.” In other words, he just shows up! (By the way, he was not involved in any spiritual activities outside the church either.) I asked about his Bible study and prayer life and not surprisingly, he said it was irregular—in other words, he just shows up.

Of all the New Testament writers, James puts the greatest emphasis on faith in action. He exhorts believers: “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you” (4:8). The Greek word “draw near” is an active verb, derived from the words “go, lead, bring.” I think James is saying we must be deliberate in our approach to God, i.e., “bringing ourselves” to God. Now, I’m quite sure God will be quite happy to see you whenever you show up, but how much better if we are actively bringing ourselves to God, deliberately engaging Him with a time, place, and a plan for Bible study, prayer, reflection, and confession. Think about that tomorrow when someone just shows up at your house for Turkey dinner, unannounced!