July 16, 2019

Who Do You Worship?

Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.’” – Matthew 4:10

Some think Donald Trump can do no wrong. They are quick to defend his every word and action, regardless of facts. They clamor to attend Trump rallies. They see him as a fine Christian man who is a victim of the heathens determined to undermine God’s Word. Truth gets lost in their idolization.

Pick a major sports figure. Or choose instead your favorite actor or singer. Maybe you hold up a television evangelist or some other powerful figure as being above reproach and worthy of our utmost awe and respect.

Maybe your god of choice is the stock market you monitor closely, the job you devote all your time to, or the golf passion you can’t seem to live without. Maybe you “need” alcohol or drugs. Maybe you live for your children or grandchildren.

Idols are those things we hold dearest to us. We worship where we focus our time and attention. We cannot worship God and everyone and everything else. When we see Trump, or any other popular person, as the one to save us, we have lost focus. When we assume that enough money, power or prestige will carry us, we have lost our direction.

We have one Lord, one Savior, one God. Everything and everyone else come below Him. Be careful. Satan would love to convince you that you’re doing God’s will by following someone or something else.

November 23, 2018

Priorities

We are merely moving shadows, and all our busy rushing ends in nothing. We heap up wealth, not knowing who will spend it. – Psalm 39:6

The lines started early yesterday morning. People skipped turkey and fellowship for the chance at a bargain. Last night was the same. This morning people rushed out before dawn to snatch up a good price on gifts and items for themselves.

Come Sunday, people will be too tired to attend church. They’ll moan and pull the covers up. Church comes too early, they’ll complain. It’s just too much effort to get dressed and go. Maybe next Sunday. Or the next. Or maybe they’ll just wait for Christmas Eve. Surely God will understand.

It’s all about priorities. Shopping, whether for gifts or for ourselves, has become more important than God. It’s okay to get defensive when you read that. The truth doesn’t always feel good.

Christmas is no longer about a babe in a manager. It has nothing much to do with Jesus’ birth and everything to do with retail sales. We’ve lost sight of what’s important. We celebrate ourselves and our pocketbooks. We forget it’s not our birthday. We forget that it’s not about us.

Or, maybe, we just don’t care. We are self-involved to the point that we don’t care what others think or say. We don’t care about what God wants from us. We’ll do what we want, spend our money the way we choose, and, well, if there’s anything left over maybe we’ll send it God’s way.

We fill our lives with stuff we don’t need in a vain effort to fill ourselves up with peace and contentment. It will never work but it doesn’t stop us from trying again and again. If we just have a little more, if we just get one more thing or make more money, then we’ll be happy where we are. Except we’ll never be happy because we’re chasing the wrong thing.

We’re so busy making plans and rushing through life that we forget what’s important. A sweet friend spent a different kind of Thanksgiving yesterday. Oh, there was lots of food and plenty of guests. But she’s no longer interested in the Black Friday sales and the thrill of the bargain hunt. What changed? Her husband died unexpectantly three months ago. There’s nothing quite like sudden death to rearrange your priorities.

There’s nothing wrong with a bargain. I like them myself. And there’s certainly nothing wrong with treating yourself to something wonderful or buying gifts for those you love. It’s when that becomes all-consuming, when you forget to be thankful, when you fail to acknowledge that it all comes from God, that your shopping becomes an idol you worship.

When life ceases to be about God, you’re headed in the wrong direction. When you find yourself making excuses for not spending time with Him, you’re focusing the wrong way. Put God first. Put people second. And place everything else a distant third.

Life is all about priorities. Your actions reveal what those priorities are. What do your actions say about your priorities? Think about it.

September 20, 2018

Who Do You Worship?

Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the LORD your God, and serve him only.’” – Matthew 4:10

Do you remember when Jesus said this? It was when He was in the wilderness being tempted by Satan. The devil had offered Jesus all the kingdoms of the world and all of their splendor. He promised it to Jesus if He would only do one thing: worship Satan.

Of course, we’re to worship God first. We know that. It’s one of the Ten Commandments. We would never bow down and worship another god. That’s what we say anyway. But are you sure?

There are many types of gods in our lives, whether we acknowledge them as such or not. For some, their god becomes the volunteer work they’re committed to. It becomes their life and everything else revolves around it. Volunteer work is a good thing. Surely, it is. Until it becomes more important that God.

Another common god is money. There are those who will do anything, sacrifice anything, to earn more and more money. They are never satisfied. Every dollar seems to fuel a need for ten more. It’s what they think about constantly. Money has replaced God in their hearts.

Or consider the children in your life. They are gifts from God and, surely, we are to prize them above all else. Except how often do we opt out of time with God because the kids’ activities interfere with it? How often do we miss church because of a sporting event? How often do we forgo tithing because that new pageant dress or tech toy that all the other kids have is really more than we can afford? We want our kids to be the best and have the best – even if that means God gets less and less and less.

Is any of this making sense yet? Whatever you focus your time and attention on the most is what you worship. It is your idol. It is what you value more than God.

Don’t get me wrong. None of the things I’ve mentioned, nor any of the many others I could have mentioned, are bad. They aren’t. It’s good to volunteer. It’s good to work hard. It’s good to give and do for your children. It’s when it reaches an extreme that it starts to edge deeper into your heart, pulling you farther and farther away from God.

God wants your heart. He wants all of you, but He understands that it’s our heart that determines how the rest of us will go. God made us with a thirst that only He can quench. One pastor called it a worship chip. It’s the only thing that will fill us up and make us whole.

When we try to shove all the other things of our lives into that hole, it only pulls us away from God and makes us miserably unhappy. We are made to worship God first and nothing else will ever satisfy us.

So, the next time you find your focus pulling away from God stop and consider your priorities. The next time you make a choice that puts something or someone before God, take a moment to really think about why you are making that choice. The slope away from God is slippery. Satan makes sure of that. Don’t let him lead you someplace you never intended to go by worshipping an idol you never intended to worship.

August 11, 2018

Priorities

Do not run until your feet are bare and your throat is dry. But you said, “It’s no use! I love foreign gods, and I must go after them.’ – Jeremiah 2:25

We think of foreign gods as being idols cast in gold, in wood, in stone. It’s an Old Testament thing. It’s ridiculous to think we would ever bow down to a gold calf. Right?

An idol doesn’t have to be made of gold or shaped like a calf. It doesn’t have to be a statue you bow to. It can be anything you place at the top of your wish list. It can be whatever you value most.

Well, family, friends, church. We know exactly how to answer that question. But look at your heart. What do you think about the most? What occupies your time? Where does your money go? What do you talk about?

We all have different gods that we worship. It could be power or greed. You don’t think that applies to you? How often do you think about controlling your work environment and playing “politics” in order to advance your own career? How much effort do you make to acquire more and more money, well beyond what you actually need?

Some people use their phones or other devices as their gods. You don’t think it applies to you? How often do you ignore your spouse, your children, your friends, as you focus on your phone? I know. You think you’re good at multi-tasking. You aren’t. When you share a meal with someone and you spend most of the time on the phone, you have elevated that phone to a god that matters more than the people you are with.

The question becomes does it matter more than God? Have you ever made excuses for missing church, Sunday School or Bible study? What are those excuses? Maybe time is a factor. Why? I’ll admit it really irritates me when someone says they can’t participate because they’re too busy but they always talk about watching television or playing computer games. It’s all about priorities and their priority isn’t God.

The truth is we love God. We do. But we love other things too. We don’t want to have to choose which we love more. We’d rather keep trying to balance it all out so we get it all. But you can’t have it all. God is a jealous God and He demands that He be our One and Only.

It’s so easy to get caught up on the outside, isn’t it? It’s easy to focus on the trappings of life and forget about the living water we need to survive. It’s easy to shift our priorities and make it all about us and our desires. It’s easy to forget that we are here to serve and glorify God – not give in to our own selfish desires.

Take a good, hard look at how you spend your days. How much time do you spend scrolling on Facebook? How hard is it for you to put your phone away (like in another room) and actually talk to the people you claim to love so much? Can you let go of office politics, shove it out of your mind, and maybe instead pray for your adversaries? Can you be a little more generous with those who don’t have as many things as you do? Can you be a little less judgmental of people who aren’t like you?

At the end of the day, it won’t matter how many promotions you got at work. It won’t matter how often you went on social media to blast the other political party or other issues of the day. It won’t matter what your address was or how many clothes your closet held. It won’t even matter how many gadgets you owned or how fast you could text.

What matters is how well you loved. What matters is how well you served God’s people. What matters is that your life elevate God so that through your words and actions others see Him in you.

June 9, 2018

What Are Your Priorities?

“Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be.” – Matthew 6:21

What is an idol? The dictionary says it’s who or what you love, reverence or admire above all else. We know that God doesn’t tolerate idolatry. He said to put no one above Him. But we do it all the time.

In this teaching, Jesus admonishes us not to store up treasures on earth. He told us to focus on heaven. That’s where the real treasure is. But, well, there’s just so many awesome things on this earth and we don’t want to miss out.

Sometimes our idol is an object. It can be a house, a car, a phone. It can be a job, a volunteer organization, a ministry. And it can be a child, a spouse, a friend. It is anything or anyone we put before God.

People are quick to tell me I don’t understand because I don’t have children. They’re right to some degree, just as they don’t understand what it’s like to not have something you once desperately wanted.

But I do understand this: God loves your children more than you could ever love them. God is love. And no matter how hard you try to protect and guide them, you are human and you will sometimes fail. Can you put God first and place what you love the most in God’s hand? Can you trust His love for them?

Sometimes we cherish treasures that will never fill us up. Have you ever had lunch with a friend or family member that repeatedly responded to texts or checks Facebook while you are trying to have a conversation. You don’t feel valued, do you? You may even do the same thing to others. It sure cuts down on the personal connection, doesn’t it? It really lets us know how valuable they find us or how valuable we find them.

Do you know someone who has sacrificed everything, including their family, for a job or a house or a volunteer organization? What matters most is what shows up in how you spend your time. In other words, don’t tell me you care. Show me with your time and attention. What is your priority?

It’s the same with how we see God. Do we view church as a chore or do we see it as a glorious opportunity to worship God Almighty with other believers? Do we spend undivided attention getting to know Him or do we put that off for another day? Do we place our relationship with God above all other relationships or do we try to fit Him in when it’s convenient?

Stop for a moment and consider your thoughts, your words, your actions. If someone looked your way, would they see Jesus in you? Would they know without your loudly proclaiming it that you value Him above all else? Priorities show in how we live our lives. Make sure that yours show others the light of Christ.

February 22, 2018

Let God be God

There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death. – Proverbs 14:12

We like to tell other people what to do, don’t we? We like to sit on our throne and pass judgement on those around us.

Of course, we don’t view it that way. We only want what’s best for them. They just can’t see the truth like we do. And don’t they read the Bible? Don’t they see the wrong in what they’re doing?

There’s one major problem in always knowing how other people should live their lives: it’s embedded in idolatry of ourselves.

Wait a minute, you’re saying about now. No. I don’t idolize myself, you’re insisting. Are you sure about that?

Why do you think that you have the right to judge others or to instruct them as to how they should live their lives? We’re not talking about a preacher speaking from the pulpit or a teacher leading a class. We’re talking about individuals who go around getting angry because others aren’t living their lives the way we think they should.

I have had so much “advice” in recent years. What about you? People are quick to tell me what to do and how to do it. They aren’t quick to actually help when it comes to work. They aren’t there to cope with the sorrow and everyday heartaches. Not at all. They’d rather stand outside and point their fingers at what they don’t understand and what isn’t any of their business.

How about you? Do you have people who want to manage your life too? Are they giving you unsolicited advice about jobs or child-rearing or how to take care of your lawn?

I have a neighbor whose name I don’t even know. He and his wife seem nice enough except that he has decided that with my Daddy gone on to heaven that it’s his job to give me advice about cows. Except the man doesn’t own cows. He’s never owned cows. His comments are condescending and ignorant.

I’ve tried to be nice but mostly I just avoid him. I don’t want to deal with him. Do I ever need advice? Absolutely. And when I do, I seek out people who own livestock. I ask questions from people who deal with cows every single day.

He means well. I tell myself that again and again. I know it’s not about me. Really, it isn’t. It’s about his need to control the actions of someone else. People who try to direct the lives of others are all about control.

We all probably have someone like that in our lives. Maybe we are that person for someone else. We are making ourselves an idol, believing that we know better than anyone else, including God.

Ah. There it is. God is the One in control. God is the One directing our steps. God is the One who knows the right path for each of us.

Sometimes we believe truly, deep down in our hearts, that we know the best path for someone else. We don’t. Certainly, pray about your concerns. If the person has taken a wrong path, the Holy Spirit will convict them. But whatever you do, get out of the way and Let God be God. Trust Him with your own life and the lives of those around you.

Tuesday, September 18, 2012

Worship God With Football Enthusiasm

“No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.” -- Matthew 6:24

I’d really never heard it described as a “worship chip.” But when Pastor Danny used that term to describe that place inside all of us that only God can fill, it sure did make sense.

And then he talked about football. Now this is Alabama and Alabama knows football. We live and breath it. We plan our lives around it, especially those who follow college football. We expect every year for our team to be headed toward a National Championship. We moan and groan. We get excited. We focus intently on the field.

The day after, the next morning, on Sunday, we file into church. We’re probably a little hung over from all the excitement. Maybe even a little hoarse from all the yelling. But we’re in church and we pat ourselves on the back for that.

Then Pastor Danny wants to know if we’re as excited about Jesus as we are about football. He asks if we’re just as enthusiastic about worshipping our Lord as we are about cheering on our favorite team. He wants to know if we’ve got that same intensity on Sunday mornings to worship God as we do when we’re watching the football game.

Sometimes truth is anything but pleasant. We don’t think of God and football as being in competition. We don’t consider football to be an idol. We don’t really worship football. We just enjoy it immensely. Like God wants us to enjoy Him.

God created us with a worship chip deep inside. We’ve got to fill ourselves up with someone or something. So do we do that with Jesus? Or do we do it with football.?

Now, don’t get me wrong. There’s nothing wrong with enjoying a little football. Okay. A lot of football. This is the Deep South after all. The problem comes when we’re more excited, more enthusiastic, more determined to experience the game than we are to worship God.

Sunday afternoon our recreational ministries hosted a tailgate party. We had team mascots, tents, a worship band, flag football and grilled hamburgers and hot dogs. We all shared fellowship and laughter as we gathered for some church-wide fun. The only problem was that the tailgate party began at the same time that our Women’s Bible Study meets.

Choices. We all have to make choices. And we did. We had a wonderful study session that blessed us all. Afterwards, we headed downstairs to join the party. God blessed us with enthusiasm for His Word and for His people. That worship chip honed in on Jesus and filled us up inside.

Wednesday, July 6, 2011

Flag Not Equal To God

“I am the LORD; that is my name! I will not give my glory to anyone else. I will not share my praise with carved idols.” -- Isaiah 42:8

The other day I was driving down the interstate listening to contemporary Christian music … or so I thought. The DJ had an agenda and it didn’t include music.

It seems that a city council somewhere out west -- Oregon or Washington, I don’t remember which -- was having a fuss over whether they should say the Pledge of Allegiance before the council meeting began. From what the DJ said, the council had always done that but suddenly one of the council members didn’t want to do it anymore.

Well, naturally I agreed that the council should say the Pledge of Allegiance. I’m an American. I gladly say the Pledge of Allegiance. What’s the big deal? Nobody has to say it if they don’t want to. It’s called the First Amendment. But we should be thrilled to be able to say it. I guess at that moment I fit right in with that conservative majority.

I quickly changed to the liberal side. I really couldn’t believe what I was hearing, from both the DJ and the callers. On a Christian radio station! The flag and God are NOT equal. Pledging allegiance to the flag is NOT the same as pledging allegiance to God. Nope. Not at all. Not even in the same arena. God is above everything and all things, including people who are using His name to stir controversy and further their own agenda.

It’s that kind of political hysteria that gives all Christians the label of “hypocrites.” We claim to put God above all things -- and some of us actually try to do that -- and then someone launches a campaign that goes against that very thing.

I don’t want to in any way diminish the value of the flag or what it means to our country. I strongly support our troops and consider myself to be very patriotic. But my God is my God. There is no one above Him. Not country or flag or people. He is the Creator of all things. How can anyone -- especially someone on a Christian radio station -- claim that a flag is equal to God? Because whether that DJ fully realized it or not, that’s exactly what he was doing.

Whether right or wrong, all Christians are labeled with the same brush. When we mess up, it doesn’t just impact on us or even on other Christians. It impacts on how others see God. We need to be very careful how we portray Him so that everyone realizes how great God truly is.