You Can’t Have That

"The LORD is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation. He is my God, and I will praise him, my father's God, and I will exalt him."  - Exodus 15:2

Imagine that you come home from a vacation on Saturday afternoon to discover that a tornado had completely wiped out your neighborhood while you were gone.  Sticks, boards, sheetrock and shingles lay all over what used to be the front yard of your home, as well as all of the homes around you.  The swing-set is gone, the pool sidewall is cracked from the tree that fell in, the shed you and your son built with your own hands is now a pile of twisted wood and metal.  Your loss is 100%, not a single thing is salvageable - not your brand new car in the garage, your big screen television, your computer, your appliances, your beds, your furniture, your photo books, your old video tapes are all either destroyed by the fire that ensued after the tornado hit or they were washed away by the fire hose and torrential downpour that occurred after the twister hit.  Walking up to the pile of rubble, with your only possessions in hand; I ask you – Can you still praise God?

  I propose that most of us would be looking heavenward with 2 things on our mind: "Thanks to be alive." & "Why me God?"  Both are legitimate thoughts, but which of the two are more aligned to God's expectations?  "Have no idols" rings a bell as a pretty strong statement from our Creator.  So consider what sits between you and God?  It's so easy to put things between God and oneself.  If something is taken away from us and our life becomes shattered because of it, then we have to ask "Was this object more important than God?"; "Am I still capable of living out God's plan for my life without these things?"; “Can I still love God when everything else is gone?”

  So often, our lives get wrapped around things and become distracted from the One that seeks our attention. When that is the case you need to honestly look at how much you are missing out on from God in order to give your attention elsewhere.  If it is that easy to cause separation between you and God, don't you think Satan will use it?  I propose that the more things you are centering your life around, the more opportunity you are giving Satan to own your life.  Center your life on God and at the same time create a stronghold against the will of Satan's attack.  Then when tragedy does happen and you are left with only the clothes on your back you can look heavenward and state with confidence, "Okay God, here we go" and mean it.



© Sondove Enterprises, 2019
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Check Your Motives

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“You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below.” – Exodus 20:4

When you think of idol, what comes to mind?

For me, it is the material possessions that I long for, the cars, house, TVs, tools and “stuff” that I believe will make my life perfect.  Many would agree with me on this point, while others might step back and think about the people that we place on pedestals – actors/actresses, athletes, politicians, or family members.  Have you ever considered that your daily habits could be considered an idol: work, shopping, school or even food?  Anything that takes precedence over your relationship with God Almighty is an idol.  Anything you cannot live without, that you are unwilling to walk away from to serve Him, is an idol.

You might say, “Well that seems pretty harsh.”, and you would be right, it is.  But, it’s reality.  God is not willing to be second to anything in your life.  According to Ed Cole, in his book “Maximized Manhood”, “. . . idolatry is a value system that we create, and in which we esteem something to be more worthy of our devotion than devotion to God.”  Well this pretty much opens up the meaning to everything from TV shows to food to people to things to thoughts.

We are caught up in idolatry as a society today, and it is drawing us farther and farther from the One we need to be running to.  Let me give you a few examples of those things I count in my list of idolatry and then I ask you to also consider those things in your list.
     1. Family
     2. Work
     3. Money
     4. Power/ Authority

How would your list compare?  Think about those things that you could not give up in order to serve God.  I’m sure I idolize many more things than these three, but when it really comes down to it, I struggle with these when I am challenged to step up and give more of myself to God’s calling on my life.  Fear of the unknown, lack of trust and the inability to see the outcome all become obstacles in my decisions to take that next step.  When it all comes down to it, this represents an unwillingness or rebellion against God’s desire for me to trust Him completely.  Like an obstinate child who does not do what their parents tell them, but instead continues to pursue life under their own rules; we do the same thing to God.

God gave us the 10 Commandments as His guidelines for becoming more Christlike in our lives.  We look at them as suggestions on how to live a good life, when in reality they are commandments from God Almighty’s own finger.  He never says you can’t have nice things, a beautiful family or a great job and wealth.  He does say that we shall not put those things above Him though.  Carefully think through your list of idols and give it over to God to help you come to a place where you trust more in Him than in these things.         

 

© Sondove Enterprises, 2012
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Worldly Idol

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 “For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you. “ – Romans 12:3

How tall is your pedestal?  Many of us have at one point or another put ourselves at the top of a pedestal, whether deserving or not.  The talents, skills and knowledge we have acquired through our life experiences differentiate us, one from another, in such a way as to create an artificial hierarchy.  Just look at society in general and look at those that we put on pedestals for one reason or another.  Celebrities, Athletes, Music Artists, Government Officials, Models and Sex Symbols are all idolized on the covers of magazines, televisions and across the blogs of the world.  Yet, take away the makeup, uniforms, badges and public image; who are we really looking at?  Just another individual who has been given gifts from God above.  The key question is whether they are using those gifts for His purpose or are they using those gifts for their own edification.

God uses people in many circumstances to make a difference in the lives of others.  We are His hands and feet on this earth and it is not without purpose that we are placed in specific situations to use the gifts He has given us.  This doesn’t make us special or lofty in comparison with every other person on this planet.  For God’s love is equal amongst all mankind, and His desire that not one should fall away is true for every one of us.  Humility is the course of action when influencing this world on behalf of God.

He is the only righteous One worthy of glory, honor and praise.  When we begin accepting the praises of others it acts as a wedge between serving God and serving ourselves.  If your talents and gifts are in the area of singing, teaching, writing, sewing, cooking, cleaning, athletics, technology, praying or any other area; determine how you can use it for God.  Give Him the glory for providing your talents and ensure that all praise is to Him and Him alone.  In this way you are truly worshiping Him and drawing closer to Him.

© Sondove Enterprises, 2012
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