by David Brenneman
"We will worship God or the gods we have created."
Was reminded of this statement, or one very similar to it, yesterday during a service that I was listening to.
We live in a world today that has way more things in it that have grabbed a piece of our hearts than we realize.
In more ways than we will willingly admit, God doesn't necessarily have our whole heart.
Look at the standards set forth in the Scriptures.
We 'love' things and people more than we love what God loves.
We aren't praying as we ought to be.
We aren't prioritizing our lives after what pleases Jesus.
I continue to say we because I am pointing this at myself as well.
We are guilty of silently closing an imaginary door to have our idea of "fun" apart from the Spirit of God.
You do it, I have, we all are doing it.
We have way more passion about all sorts of this, that and the other, than we have about what Jesus gets excited about.
Get brutally honest...you likely get way more offended by the words people say about what it is you're passionate about, what you 'love' than you are when they say something against Jesus, the Father, the Spirit or the Word of God.
It was a driving point of revelation in my life to get me to stop being passionate about sports. Not to mention that that same passion that I had for it brought out the worst behavior from within me. I hate to break it to EVERYONE but those nasty, cruel, things said in jest during a game are will be entirely considered when we give an account of our lives before Jesus.
Don't take my word for it my Dear Reader, read what Jesus said: "But I tell you that every careless word that people speak, they shall give an accounting for it in the day of judgment. For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.”
Matthew 12:36-37.
When we speak in such derision, such anger, such unjustifyable disgust, those careless words will be brought up when we stand before Jesus.
We do rage for no Godly reason at all the wrong things...because of who we're worshipping.
We either are going to worship God or those we have created.
We will because we already have in the past.
We read the Bible and have countless examples of other's doing it.
Human beings do this.
Ours is to daily submit our entire life to the obedience of Christ.
Ours is to remove that which is becoming or has been an idol in our hearts.
Ours is to be bold enough to ask in prayer the same as King David "Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me and know my anxious thoughts; And see if there be any hurtful way in me, And lead me in the everlasting way.” Psalms 139:23-24.
Words. A some reading this will just blow it off n say "they're just words".
Really. An no it's not a cultural thing, it's a lesson to be learned from the Word of God.
Words spoken quite often lead to being stoned. Words could cause a person to run for their lives to find some place to live out their days.
Words were what the Pharisees and the Sadducies wanted to use to condemn Jesus. Just words.
Throughout the centuries after the crucifixion words would cost people their lives for saying they either were Christians or that they were found to be devil worshippers.
Words too can be used against us in the court of law.
"For by your words you will be justified by your words you will be condemned".
Jesus takes what we say that seriously.
There's no "unless you were just kidding, that you weren't serious" part of that verse.
There's no exceptions.
I cannot bring myself to be kidding or joking or excusing my words about others.
My speaking in any of those ways may push someone away from wanting to hear about Jesus.
Seriously.
Your behavior before men and women as a Believer can be trashing your testimony because of what you 'love' that's blinding you to the effect it's having on your life.
By your words you will be justified by your words you will be condemned.
Scripture says many times in many ways...to consider our ways.
My Dear Reader are you considering your ways? Are you actually, honestly, worshippers of things or people other than God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ?
More importantly would Jesus say that you are?
All NASB Scripture Excerpts used by permission.
New American Standard Bible
(C) 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by the Lockman Foundation.
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