A.W. Tozer (1897-1963) is arguably my favorite author when it comes to the “deeper” Christian life.  Though he “fell asleep” over fifty years ago, his writings carry an uncanny timeliness.  Like the ancient Hebrew prophets, Tozer’s message bears the markings of God’s character.

Reading his books reveal the authentic fellowship this man had with Father while on earth.  Prayer, to him, was more than a facade–it was the essence of his life.  “His preaching as well as his writings were but extensions of his prayer life”, comments his biographer, James L. Snyder in the book, In Pursuit of God: The Life Of A.W. Tozer.  “He had the ability to make his listeners face themselves in the light of what God was saying to them.”

Today, I came across a quote from one of his books, Faith Beyond Reason.  It is a scathing, but accurate word for modern-day Christianity.  Though we boast of many things, our words betray the true famine in our souls.  This is what Tozer said:

“Your baptism and your confirmation and your name on the the church roll and the big Bible you carry – these are not the things that are important to God.  You can train a chimpanzee to carry a Bible.  Every one of us is the sum of what we secretly admire, what we think about and what we would like to do most if we became free to do what we wanted to do.”

I’ve sat here at my computer for the last half hour trying to come up with a response to this quote.  However, I think Tozer’s words are best left just the way they are.  Take a few minutes and think about what he said.  In these times, God is calling His people to realign themselves with what really matters.