Coram Deo

“I am God Almighty. Live in my presence with integrity.” (Genesis 17:1 GWT)

Coram Deo is a Latin phrase which means ‘in the presence of God.’ We are always under the gaze of God, whether we are aware of it or not. It’s like walking into a store with hidden cameras everywhere. Unless there are monitors broadcasting what is being filmed, we don’t even realize that every move we make is being recorded. Sometimes I walk into a store, see myself on a screen, and think to myself: “Darn, I should have paid a bit more attention to what I put on this morning!”

“To live all of life coram Deo is to live a life of integrity. It is a life of wholeness that finds its unity and coherency in the majesty of God. A fragmented life is a life of disintegration. It is marked by inconsistency, disharmony, confusion, conflict, contradiction, and chaos. The Christian who compartmentalizes his or her life into two sections of the religious and the nonreligious has failed to grasp the big idea.” (R.C. Sproul)

When we acknowledge that we live under the gaze of God, we remember that we are accountable to Him. This influences our thoughts and behavior. We pay attention to how we present ourselves as representatives of Christ.  Compartmentalized living feels hypocritical. We learn to behave congruently at work, church, social events, and home. It feels wrong to put on airs of morality when we are with Christian friends and then let loose our carnal nature when we are with secular friends. The yearning to consistently attire ourselves in integrity, reverence, humility, and purity overtakes our desire for popularity. We are driven by a singular purpose: to spend our time and effort in ways that please God; to live coram Deo--under His influence and for His glory.