The Ten Commandments begin this way: "I am the Lord, your God, ... worship no other gods; and do not make idols of any kind!" We think that means creating a new religion or carving a little figure and praying to it. Those words could be read that way, but in the context of my life - they speak to a tendency to make Ego my god, to give my strength and resources to my own plans instead of His.
Does God serve you or do you serve God? Let me ask it another way - is your life arranged around God's purposes or do you require that He fit into your plans? Yes, of course, the Lord is never subservient to you or me, nor does He ever really take a second place in the universe. He is First, Pre-eminent, and Sovereign. But, I find that in the business of life, He get pushed aside; my focus on His will replaced with my own desires. In my life, this is not an intentional choice, nor does it happen because I declare a rebellion. I simply get distracted and my focus gradually shifts from the Spirit to Self!
Even good things can be done for the wrong reasons. Let me illustrate. What could be more godly than becoming involved in a ministry; shall we say - collecting and distributing food to those who are in need? God Himself directs us to show concern for the poor so that would have to be a God-centered activity, right? No! If the person engaged in that service does it to gain attention, to prove he is a 'good Christian,' or to as a means of gaining power - it is idol worship; the god truly served being Self.
God asks for all of our resources, imposes His will on us, and makes demands. Those are His godly prerogatives. If we have given Him first place in our minds and hearts, we will not respond to His will with complaint, or by thinking He is unfair, or that He has showed up in a time that is 'inconvenient.' We will obey gladly, finding joy in knowing that we are obedient children of the Heavenly Father.
Jesus asks a question that I hope needs no answer in my life, nor in yours. "Why do you call me ‘Lord,’ when you won’t obey me?"
He continues by explaining the reward of God-centered life and the folly of making God an accessory. Read His words thoughtfully -- "I will show you what it’s like when someone comes to me, listens to my teaching, and then obeys me. It is like a person who builds a house on a strong foundation laid upon the underlying rock. When the floodwaters rise and break against the house, it stands firm because it is well built. But anyone who listens and doesn’t obey is like a person who builds a house without a foundation. When the floods sweep down against that house, it will crumble into a heap of ruins." (Luke 6:46-49, NLT)
As we begin Thanksgiving week, I encourage you to prayerfully, thoughtfully evaluate your relationships, your leisure activities, your ministry and worship, your heart attitudes, your fiscal decisions -- yes, all of your life -- in light of this question -- Is He truly God of all?
Unless He is Lord of all, He is not Lord at all. Our words of worship and songs of praise will be hollow, if they are offered when our hearts are divided, following another god.
_______________________
Let My Words Be Few
You are God in Heaven
and here am I on earth,
So I'll let my words be few,
Jesus, I am so in love with You.
And I'll stand in awe of You
Yes, I'll stand in awe of You
and I'll let my words be few,
Jesus, I am so in love with You.
Author: Matt Redman, © 2000 Kingsway
No comments:
Post a Comment