Take it to Heart!
The problem that the priests have is that they have not taken God at His word! They know His word. They loosely abide by His word. But they really don't believe in their hearts that God is faithful to His Word. Because of God's patience, because God hasn't struck them with lightening at the drop of a hat, these people have allowed themselves to get lazy in their honor and devotion to God. God through Malachi is trying to awaken their hearts. He is giving this warning in order to rekindle the flame that once burned in the heart of the priesthood.
"And now, O priests, this command is for you. If you will not listen, if you will not take it to heart to give honor to my name, says the LORD of hosts, then I will send the curse upon you and I will curse your blessings," (Malachi 2.1-2, ESV). Too long the priests have gone through the motions, saying one thing and living life as though they could care less. There is no passion for the Lord. There is no desire for His ministry and service. It's wearisome and burdensome. It's just another job. Malachi is saying wake up! I'm talking to you! Listen to me! Stop dozing! Stop ignoring my words! This is going to happen, believe me! Take what I am saying to heart. Let your heart feel again. Let God's commands, God's Word burn again within you.
For years you have lived as though you do not serve an honorable God. You have lived lives that never really seek to glorify God. You are living lives that are not purposeful to God's glory. In other words a life that gives God the leftovers, rather than give Him the best. There is no honor in that, but now, I give you this opportunity to come back to the place of honor. I give this time to take to heart my honor. "Take it to heart to give honor to my name."
So many of us can identify with these priests. We have been going through the motions. If God could receive honor and glory from what we do great, but it we are purposing to give it in our hearts. We've placed God's glory and honor on the back burner and have forgotten about it. We are too busy living our lives. And it's not necessarily that our lives are sinful. Our lives simply are busy and normal, wearisome in some instances and burdensome in others. We simply are too exhausted and too busy to really put God's glory and honor on the front burners. We already have enough to think about. We simply don't have the energy to rank every decision and move based on God's glory. Sure that verse that says, "So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God," (1 Corinthians 10.31, ESV) sounds great on paper. And it's an awesome verse to memorize and use to scold other people with, but in practical, everyday living, it's just plain hard. And we have neither the energy or the patience to live by it.
If that's you God says, "Wake up! Take to heart to give honor to My name! That is what I created you for. That is why you live and exist!" Yes, it is tough. And I can honestly say that I do not live my life with God's glory constantly on my mind. No one does. But just because we can't always live for God's glory is no reason not to start striving to do so. We will never be perfect this side of eternity, but our growth on this side is indicative that we will have the other side.
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