March 21 Thought for the day...everything decently and in order

I have been in every kind of church you can imagine from the very conservative to the very wild. I have been part of things that are so profound and holy that I literally could not stand in the presence of God to things so profane I wanted to take the microphone and ask people if any of them had a relationship with Jesus. What is the best way to do church? Paul gives us clear direction.

"Let all things be done decently and in order." 1 Corinthians 14:40

That statement means different things to different people. It could mean the dancing, swaying and shouting of a Gospel choir and it could also mean the quiet stillness of an Orthodox service or the wildness of Pentecostals in South America. Each one of these services and more could be either decent and in order or totally out of order. This could also be a reflection of your life.

When Paul talks about "decently" there are only two other places in scripture where this same word is used. In all three cases, the inference is doing something with honest heart and intent, to do something properly. The emphasis is not so much on what is done but on the motivation behind it. When Paul is talking about doing something decently, his challenge is that it be done with honesty, sincerity, and the right motivation. We must judge the heart of why we are doing something, and as a Pastor, the challenge for me is to judge the motivation of the heart of someone doing something in ministry that they are claiming is God-driven. This is also the way we should be responding in our daily lives. Everything should be done with honest, sincere, motivation or attitudes should always be governed by honesty.

When Paul mentions "in order" the word translated this way means that something is done in a fitting way, it fits with the service, does not disrupt or distract but adds to in a respectful, courteous, differential, well-mannered way. This is the definition of in order. This is also the way we should treat one another.

Think of all of the ways you communicated or were communicated to in the last week. Has it been decently and in order? As far as a church service goes, this is not limiting if everyone is truly moving by the Spirit of God. Yes, there will be times when someone will get offended because to them it is a disruption, but if done honestly and respectfully it is not really a disruption but God!