by David Brenneman
We indeed do softly replace God in life by the choices we make to place our peace, our enjoyment, our efforts into things that belong to God.
Many even today do not really wish to hear it because they indeed are like what I had been reading in Acts 28:26-27 "saying, ‘Go to this people and say, “You will keep on hearing, and will not understand; And you will keep on seeing, and will not perceive; For the hearts of this people have become insensitive, And with their ears they hardly hear, And they have closed their eyes; Otherwise they might see with their eyes, And hear with their ears, And understand with their heart and return, And I would heal them.”’
People don't realize how they sound to others or themselves when they lavish accolades that rightly belong to God alone onto others or other things.
Isaiah 45:5 NASB "I am the Lord, and there is no one else; There is no God except Me.
I will arm you, though you have not known Me,".Of course there is also "and you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” Mark 12:30-31 NASB.
If there is a great temptation that is higher than most it probably is in taking what belongs to God and placing it with other things or people. Taking His glory and honor and praise that rightly only belong to Jesus and even placing it side-by-side with Earthly stuff.
"Love not the world nor the things of this world". 1 John 2:15.
Where do you place your love? It's going to be placed somewhere. It will garner your attention. It will be what you glorify.
"I am the Lord, that is My name; I will not give My glory to another, Nor My praise to idols." Isaiah 42:8 NASB.
Look what Proverbs 4:23-27 NASB says "Watch over your heart with all diligence,
For from it flow the springs of life. Rid yourself of a deceitful mouth And keep devious speech far from you. Let your eyes look directly ahead And let your gaze be fixed straight in front of you. Watch the path of your feet, And all your ways will be established. Do not turn to the right or to the left; Turn your foot from evil." Devious speech. Wow.
Our hearts were never meant to be split in our lives. Never meant to honor God AND anything or anyone else.
All means all and that's all all means. Love not the things of this world. Love the Lord your God with all...
Matthew 15:18-19 NASB "But the things that come out of the mouth come from the heart, and those things defile the person. For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murders, acts of adultery, other immoral sexual acts, thefts, false testimonies, and slanderous statements."
We easily are taken in when we are weakest to this or that in life. As someone once wrote "A tired body means a tired mind, a tired mind makes mistakes". We often make rash mistakes when we are vulnerable. When we are looking to something else to fill a void that entirely belongs to God.
I like what I do as a job. I refuse to love it.
I like where even my health is, I refuse, as weird as it may sound, to love it.
I like my various hobbies, I refuse to love them.
I like many thoughts and ideas of others, but I refuse to love them.
I love Jesus Christ and nothing will garner what belongs to Him in my life if I can help it. I will not place what belongs only to Him and place it side-by-side with Earthly stuff. I will not love my job. I will not love a vehicle, a house, a this or a that.
My goal is to point people to Jesus alone. To do as Andrew did.
Worker's in His Harvest have but 1 job. To point people towards Jesus Christ for salvation, so that the Spirit of God may save them.
We really really need to guard our hearts and minds as the Bible says. The helmet of Salvation protects the mind. The shield of faith takes that protection farther. Read Ephesians 6 and see each area of you that the full armor of God is doing for you.
It's horrible to hear Christians lavishing their joy and zeal that belongs to God onto people. For me, personally, it's why I walked away from sports a very long time ago. It's why I walked away from many things and to this day the Spirit shows me more baggage to get rid of.
A transformed life as Romans 12 says means a life that leaves what's important to me and replaces it with whatever is important to Jesus.
My hope and prayer for all who read this isn't necessarily a guilt trip. But if what's said stirs up you by way of reminder, then so be it. If conviction comes, because you were reminded to return to your walk with Jesus in earnest, so be it. What you surround yourself with certainty says more about what's important to you than anything you will say with your mouth. Where your money goes speaks volumes.
Philippians 4:7 NASB "And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus."
No comments:
Post a Comment