Going deep with God—that's important, right?

But it's almost as though we've equated going deep with being weird. So we've gone the other way.

For fear of being weird, we've kept ourselves from diving headfirst into Jesus, from allowing His lordship to permeate our speech, our time, our entertainment and our choices.

But we need to go deep, especially if you want to be a lead in any way. If you want to make a difference, depth is not a question.

Depth doesn't have to mean weird, stuck up, fake or pretentious. But it means you are moved by the God you worship.

This is what we need more than anything: those who aren't content with being a good musician and putting on great performances.

It's really easy to fake it. No one sees you waking up early to seek God. No one sees your intercession in the middle of the night. No one sees the money you give and the sacrifice it is to pay your tithe every month. With each new day, it has become increasingly easy to fake the real thing. Instagram allows us to present the best version of our looks and experiences. We can cause people to envy us while inwardly we are dying.

So let me ask: How is your health? How is your life, really? How deep are you going with God?

I'm not asking how big the budget is you manage or how many people you supervise. I'm not asking about who thinks you're the greatest or how many compliments you receive on a weekly basis.

I'm asking: How are you, not what others think of you?

For a moment, stop concerning yourself with how much money you have in the bank and how "successful" you are. For a moment, take inventory of your real relationship with Jesus. If you stood before Him right now, how would His 2016 review of your life be? This isn't to shame you. This isn't to heap on the guilt and regret for past mistakes. It's just to get honest. The most important things about your life aren't all the externals that culture values. It's about the inner life.

As the great Puritan writers would say, "God of my end, it is my greatest, noblest pleasure to be acquainted with Thee and with my rational, immortal soul. It is sweet and entertaining to look into my being when all my powers and passions are united and engaged in pursuit of Thee, when my soul longs and passionately breathes after conformity to Thee and the full enjoyment of Thee. No hours pass away with so much pleasure as those spent in communion with Thee and with my heart."

Your credibility as a minister will always come down to living the real thing. It's not your leadership skills, talent or charisma. It's the crossroads of what you say and who you are.

I don't know about you, but that's how I'm approaching the New Year.

I want my greatest joy to be the time I spent with the Savior—a heart surrendered, fully committed and centered on His will. How about you?

David Santistevan is a worship pastor at Allison Park Church in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

For the original article, visit davidsantistevan.com.

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