Tuesday, September 13, 2016

Which god do you serve?

     I hear OMG statements all the time as I'm sure you do as well.  While that exclamation isn't intended to be a prayer or meditation, it is using the word god for something other than honor of God.  Similarly we find ourselves praying to different gods all the time.  "Please god, let me get to the gas station!" is honoring the god of the nearby gas station because you have failed to fill your vehicle with gas.  "Please god, you have got to get them into the end zone!" is honoring the god of football (insert any sport you like) because you have more invested in "your team" than you do in your relationship with God.  "Please god, don't let me be late to work!" is praying to the god of I didn't manage my time this morning just like many other mornings. "Please god, help me to achieve success to this venture and have financial success." is praying to the god of money instead of God who knows all of our needs.  We do similarly with our children, friends, parents, and pets, the water quality, air quality, the choice of color for our matching décor and countless other "things" that come with our taking our eyes off Jesus.  I have done this and so have you.  It sounds like nonsense and it is!  Why is it we do this?
     Perhaps we just don't have a clear understanding of Scripture?  Let's see, Jesus told us that he knows our needs and will take care of them IF we let him.  Jesus said that the blessings from heaven would fall upon us IF we honored him as God.  Jesus said that we wouldn't receive what we "wanted" because we would consume that for ourselves.  There is a pattern here...  Should we have the insight to understand Scripture and should we decide to live our lives according to God's Word, we would then would be in such a position to receive all that God has in store for us.  There is the old story of the rich elderly man who lost his son early in life.  The man had a picture painted of his son which had a place of honor above the grand fireplace.  When the man died some years later all of the relatives gathered to hear the reading of he will.  What they found was there was an auction of items that the man had acquired.  The first to be auctioned was the beloved picture of the mans son who had tragically died many years earlier.  The bidders (family) didn't respond to the auctioneer until finally one member paid $10 for the painting.  With the picture sold, the lawyer told the family the auction was over and the winner of the painting won everything else the man had amassed.  The lawyer said, "Whoever has the son, has everything." 
     It's just a matter of choice.  There are the Ten Commandments that addressed the requirements of the Israelites.  The first four address the laws regarding relationship to God while the last six are the commandments for the people among themselves.  Jesus, in the Sermon on the Mount beginning with the Beatitudes, listed the Ten Commandments in reverse order (read them!) and then summarized them with the two commandments.  He said, "Love the Lord your God with ALL your heart, soul and mind." and "Love others as you love yourself."   Here we are with the truth of ages.  How will we respond?  Where is your love for God?  Are you allowing him to be God of all or not God at all?  Do you attempt to serve God and the world?  OMG!  Please help.... or God, please help me to love you with all my heart, soul and mind.  You see, if we do the first, the second is automatic.  We cannot live in the love of God as He wants us to and still not love our neighbor.  IF we give up and let God live his life through us, there is no second command.  Automatically, we will have the heart and mind of God governing our words, thoughts and deeds.  It is only then that we will hear "well done thou good and faithful servant." and truly not care because we know we can never do enough, be enough or surrender enough for the God who sent his Son to redeem us.  Whoever has the Son, has everything.  It's always your choice.

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