Coram Deo

coram Deo - "to live one's life in the presence of God, under the authority of God, to the glory of God." literally, the term coram Deo means "before the face of God"

The idea behind coram Deo is something that, since I was in high school and read John Piper for the very first time (after seeing the college ministry at Southcrest Baptist go through "Let the Nations be Glad"), I have tried and tried to live out in my life. In I Corinthians 10v.21, we read "So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God." Whatever we're doing, we are to live in the knowledge that it is all in front of God's face.

I know that I live this out completely imperfectly and, in fact, am the chief of all hypocrites who seek to do this. But oh, how I wish to remain in a constant state of remembering this truth. In the society in which we live, though, we love to compartmentalize our lives, spiritually and in every other facet.

We seem to think that it really doesn't matter what we do the other six days of the week, as long as we're there on Sunday (or Thursday, if you're in college in some parts). We love to play the game and be "spiritual" or "religious" or even "Christian" people (it saddens me, though, when these "Christians" are the ones who compartmentalize most). How much different would churches be if Believers actually lived out a sense of coram Deo, that every little bit of life is for the glory of the Lord?