Coram Deo

Do you ever have one of those weeks where a phrase, or perhaps a verse from scripture keeps cropping up? I've had one of those, this week. Now, I'm not about to start suggesting anything superstitious about that. Sometimes I happen to notice a lot of British Racing Green cars, and that's never going to be especially significant.

But it's no bad thing to be continually reminded of something good, positive and wholesome. So, this week, following on from my ruminations about temptation, I've noticed the phrase Coram Deo persistently following me about.

It's an astonishing concept, and in my experience something which is tremendously hard to maintain. Living 'before the face of God'. Now, it's related to doing all things for the Glory of God, of course. And all my readers, hopefully, are nodding their heads in approval at that.

However, it seems to me that, while this is one of the most delightful of theological ideas - that we are never beyond his sight, reach or care, and that we should do all things in the light of that - it's also the most terrifying.

Sit and dwell on it for a moment. The utterly Holy creator God, so Holy that you could not even look on Him and live, is watching your every move, thought and action.

I don't know about you, but that scares the ribs out of me. Especially when I recall that this morning alone, I have sworn in frustration a couple of times, lost my temper in such a way that I put down to being in pain, but that I know in my heart of hearts was just because I was busy with something and got interupted, and lingered far too long over an avatar of David Tennant.

I am not a holy person. But I am closely watched by a Holy God. More than that, I have this Holy God living within me.

Now, you'd think that this reality would be so seared into my conscience that I would never put a foot wrong. But clearly, this is not the case. I think that most often, we don't remember these facts because they are so uncomfortable to us that we unconsciously put it out of our minds. And this tends to be the default position - the sleepy watchdog of the conscience growls a bit, but we don't really want him to wake up properly, because then we'd remember that Jehovah God is completely aware of everything we are up to.

So a phrase like Coram Deo - a key turned in the lock of the watchdog's kennel-door - is very helpful to push my mind out of stupor and into action. For me, it's a good illustration that the Christian life is not a passive one. To be sure, it certainly isn't one of earning favour. How could that be? If I am living before the face of God, He knows my motivations, and I cannot pull the wool over His eyes about the true nature of my heart.

But it is one of motivated walking - a pilgrim path that requires we do battle with our own sluggishness as much as, if not more than, we struggle with Apollyon.

Before you leave, shuddering with horror, though, it's neccessary to balance such stern reality with exactly Who it is that is watching us constantly. Yes, He is perfectly Holy and Just. But He is also Love. If you have trusted in Christ, He has gathered you into His family, and cherishes you. He wants you to keep the watchdog awake, not because He's trying to catch you out, but because He gave you the dog to protect you.

Living Coram Deo is an exhortation to Holy Living, for sure. But it's also a big comforting blanket that lets you know that He knows all - all of it, even the things you would never dream of sharing with another human being - and still He loves, and will never let you go.