The post today is credited to the great man of the faith, A.W. Tozer. He was a key figure in the Christian and Missionary Alliance and was known for his “deeper life movement.” The excerpt shared below was posted recently on a page that I follow, and I felt compelled to share it. Not to discourage, but to have us really examine the essence of what he is alluding to: heart and life transformation. From a Message he delivered, titled: “Game of Pious Words,” here is Tozer in his own words. May the Lord use them to saturate our souls and move us to holiness:
“Do you realize that most men play at religion as they play at games? Religion itself, being of all games the one most universally played. The Church has its ‘fields’ and its ‘rules’ and its equipment for playing the game of pious words. It has its devotees, both laymen and professionals, who support the game with their money and encourage it with their presence, but who are no different in life or character from many who take no interest in religion at all.
As an athlete uses a ball, so do many of us use words: words spoken and words sung, words written and words uttered in prayer. We throw them swiftly across the field; we learn to handle them with dexterity and grace – and gain as our reward the applause of those who have enjoyed the game. In the games men play there are no moral roots. It is a pleasant activity which changes nothing and settles nothing, at last. Sadly, in the religious game of pious words, after the pleasant meeting no one is basically any different from what he has been before.”
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