Have you ever been dumped? Have you ever been betrayed? Rejected? Have you ever been so disappointed, so let down, that your heart hurt? It’s so hard for us as people to absorb hurt. It tears us up. We have a hard time loving those people again.
I’m done beating around the bush. We reject Him. We betrayed Him. We dumped Him and cheated on Him! And for goodness sake, we killed Him!
Idolatry is defined as “Entertaining thoughts about God that are not worthy of Him.” It sure opens up our eyes to how much we really are idolaters. Consider your latest challenge in doing what God asked (this can also include what your parents or sibblings asked you to do.) Grab onto that and think about what thoughts were in your heart as you struggled to carry through. Maybe “I don’t feel like doing it right now. I don’t mind disappointing God.” Be honest with yourself, “It doesn’t really matter right now,” or “I honestly don’t care what He thinks at this moment.” Maybe you were thinking “It’s just a simple task, not everything is tied to God, I can disobey.” (slow obedience is disobedience).
In conclusion. We’re constantly “entertaining” unworthy thoughts of God. He is Infinity, Divinity, Righteousness, Love, and Justice all in one. He does care. It does matter to Him. Your life matters to Him. Everything you do matters to Him!
We shouldn’t have many little thrones in our hearts. One throne. And one Person on that throne. Jesus. God. Nothing should be worthy a side seat.
I’m sure you have heard the saying “JOY, Jesus first, Others second, Yourself last.” I’d like to challenge that saying. If you love Jesus first, you will not need to be reminded to love others, and you definitely never need a reminder to love yourself, you’ll take care of that without thinking about it.
If your life and being is saturated with Jesus and everything is guided and directed and held up by your love for Him and His love for you, everything will fall into place?
What are the most important things in your life? Stop and think before you read on. Jesus, and Family, and Friends. Right?
Those are called mini-thrones. It should be one and only one thing. Jesus. Through Him, everything else will be taken care of. The “and” is often the most crippling thing in our relationship with God.
Recently, I have had feelings for a man in our church. We’re good friends, and I really like him. But he’s moving to another state. It challenged my relationship with God and opened my eyes to how easy it is to let something slip in and fight for the throne in my heart. Keeping Him as the center is a conscious decision that you have to make ALL THE TIME.
And isn’t it amazing that He is still willing to take us back, after all those times we have pushed Him aside, we’ve abandoned Him. And those moments when you look Him in the face for a moment before you do what you know He wishes you wouldn’t.
God is the God of Another Chance. Not a second chance. If all we got was a second chance, well. We’d be long gone. No. He’s the God of another chance… and another… and another. In fact He will take you back time after time. Your heart is what He wants. And that’s what He deserves. Know that no one is worthy, and there is no one you can trust more than Him. He wants what’s the best for you. We may not always understand, but He gives us chance after chance to get to know Him. To love Him, and to move forward holding His hand.
Dear Jesus, Lord of all,
Thank you for chance after chance. Thank you that you give me the opportunity to know you more and more time after time. I’m sorry that I’m so easily distracted and lead my life chasing after things that don’t mean anything when you are the only thing that will ever fulfill me. Please, help me to know you more and to love you more. I don’t want my life to go to waste. Fill me with your Spirit and guide me to lead my life after you. I can’t do this alone. And thank you that I don’t have to. Thank you that you have paid the price for my sins and that I can come before you and request your aid.
In your wonderful and priceless name.
Amen
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