Those Who Say the Most are Saying Nothing

A couple of years ago, I heard Matt Redman say in a worship workshop directed toward songwriters, “In our lyrics, we must paint the grandest description of God that we possibly can.”  That idea will likely remain forever imprinted on my heart when I approach a song.  I pray it does.  I haven’t always done the best job of that, I confess. But I want to be ever-striving to paint a picture of God that is worthy of who He is.  And though human language falls short to describe Him both fully and completely, language is, nevertheless, what we have been given.  And so, as songwriters, pastors, preachers, teachers, parents of young children, college students, coffee shop baristas, whatever, the challenge for us is to both maintain a high view of God, and then seek to honor Him in our description of Him.

The other day, this idea was again reinforced as I read Augustine’s (AD 354 – 430) unbelievable description of God in chapter 1, book 1 of his Confessions.  Allow the greatness of God to seep into your heart and mind in a fresh way as you read this, and may it challenge you as it has me to love Him deeper and to speak of Him greater.

“What other lord is Lord, what other god but God?–highest, best, most powerful, … most merciful yet most just, hidden far away yet very near, most beautiful yet most strong, most fixed yet most elusive, changeless in changing all things; neither young nor old, you give youth back to all things yet age the proud away insensibly; active always, always at rest, you acquire without lacking, you support, fill, and protect; create, raise, and complete; seeking, though you have all; loving, yet not inflamed; jealous, yet not disturbed; regretful, without remorse; angry, without intemperance; you change event without a change of plan; acquiring what is at hand without having lost; never in need, yet happy at gain; receiving, without exacting interest on what is owed you; overpaid to be put in debt, yet none pay you with anything you did not, in the first place, give; you honor debts without owing, cancel debts without losing. And what, with all this, have I said, my God, my life holy and sweet to me, what can anyone say when speaking of you? Yet we must say something when those who say the most are saying nothing.”