My Toilet Talked to Me

This past week Abby and I got to take a group of high schoolers to a Christ in Youth Conference at Southern Illinois University. I enjoyed the racquetball, silent football, smoothies, chicken nuggets, worship music, Bible studies, and dorm room chats with the kids, but I especially enjoyed the sermons. One line from the first sermon of the week really sticks out to me.

"Most Christians spend more time on the toilet than they do talking to God."

I know God doesn't have a giant graph up in heaven comparing the time I spend on the can to the time I spend on my knees in prayer, but the fact of the matter is that, for me, that statement is probably true.

In Matthew 7:21-22 Jesus said, "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?" Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers."

It doesn't really matter if we call ourselves Christians. It matters what God calls us. I can do all kinds of Christiany stuff, but it doesn't matter unless I know Him--not know about Him, or know of Him, or know trivia facts about the Bible, or have read the latest theological books,but whether I know my Father and He knows me.

"And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you."

Matthew 6:5-6