Day Eight: The gods In My Life
July 8, 2015.
I've started reading a book the past couple days written by Kyle Idleman called "gods at war". (And yes I meant to not capitalize god.) It's all about the things in our life that we put before the one true God; the things we make the gods in our life. And I know we all have idols. It seems impossible not to in this world.
What Kyle talks about is how most problems in our life stem from idolatry. Whether its credit card debt, being a workaholic, alcoholism, fraud, control, materialism... those things are the outcome of putting things before God. "Idolatry isn't AN issue; it is THE issue." I honestly had never thought about it that way before. But it is so true. I have put so many things before God and my relationship with Him. I put work, shopping, boys, and friendships first. As terrible as that sounds its true. I wasn't thinking about what Christ would want for my life or in my life; I only thought about what I wanted for my life. That right there was a heart issue. I wanted MY way; not God's. I was walking selfishly blind and not asking God for any help. That's why 3 years later I still don't know what to do with my life. But I guess that's the problem. It's in the question I've been asking and im sure some of you have been asking the same thing... "What am I going to do with my life?" BUT that is the wrong question. We need to be asking, "How can God use me in this life for HIS glory?" This life is not ours. Its His. In Proverbs 4:23 it says, "Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it." When we change our hearts, our actions will change.
Something else I read in his book really stuck out to me and I just really wanted to share it. In Matthew 15:17-19 it says, "But the things that come out of a person's mouth come from the heart, and these defile them. For out of the heart come evil thoughts-- murder, adultery, sexual immorality theft, false testimony, slander". There was a saying that one of my youth leaders used to say all the time and it's really stayed with me, "Garbage in, garbage out." Everything we do, or see has an affect on us. For me once I started working and heard cussing all the time I got to the point that those words don't phase me at all anymore. Yes, I know they are wrong; and no, I don't say them. But it doesn't affect me anymore when others do. That's the same with so many other things in our life. We get "used" to crude jokes, "used" to foul language, "used" to immodest dressing. We eventually get so used to them that they don't seem wrong anymore. We start compromising on our morals and beliefs and pretty soon we are just like this world. We don't stand out for Christ.
So much in this world is causing us to focus on the outside. We worry about what others will think of what we look like, or how we act. The world is constantly changing and changing to conform to this world is a constant battle. Changing to be like Christ isn't always easy either, but with God, He is the same yesterday, today, and forever. It's not a guessing game with Him. There aren't constant trends to keep up with in being like God.
I challenge you to, with me, put God first in your life. Go to the heart of the issue and let God take control. Just sit back and watch what God can do in your life.
Hebrews 13:8
Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.
I've started reading a book the past couple days written by Kyle Idleman called "gods at war". (And yes I meant to not capitalize god.) It's all about the things in our life that we put before the one true God; the things we make the gods in our life. And I know we all have idols. It seems impossible not to in this world.
What Kyle talks about is how most problems in our life stem from idolatry. Whether its credit card debt, being a workaholic, alcoholism, fraud, control, materialism... those things are the outcome of putting things before God. "Idolatry isn't AN issue; it is THE issue." I honestly had never thought about it that way before. But it is so true. I have put so many things before God and my relationship with Him. I put work, shopping, boys, and friendships first. As terrible as that sounds its true. I wasn't thinking about what Christ would want for my life or in my life; I only thought about what I wanted for my life. That right there was a heart issue. I wanted MY way; not God's. I was walking selfishly blind and not asking God for any help. That's why 3 years later I still don't know what to do with my life. But I guess that's the problem. It's in the question I've been asking and im sure some of you have been asking the same thing... "What am I going to do with my life?" BUT that is the wrong question. We need to be asking, "How can God use me in this life for HIS glory?" This life is not ours. Its His. In Proverbs 4:23 it says, "Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it." When we change our hearts, our actions will change.
Something else I read in his book really stuck out to me and I just really wanted to share it. In Matthew 15:17-19 it says, "But the things that come out of a person's mouth come from the heart, and these defile them. For out of the heart come evil thoughts-- murder, adultery, sexual immorality theft, false testimony, slander". There was a saying that one of my youth leaders used to say all the time and it's really stayed with me, "Garbage in, garbage out." Everything we do, or see has an affect on us. For me once I started working and heard cussing all the time I got to the point that those words don't phase me at all anymore. Yes, I know they are wrong; and no, I don't say them. But it doesn't affect me anymore when others do. That's the same with so many other things in our life. We get "used" to crude jokes, "used" to foul language, "used" to immodest dressing. We eventually get so used to them that they don't seem wrong anymore. We start compromising on our morals and beliefs and pretty soon we are just like this world. We don't stand out for Christ.
So much in this world is causing us to focus on the outside. We worry about what others will think of what we look like, or how we act. The world is constantly changing and changing to conform to this world is a constant battle. Changing to be like Christ isn't always easy either, but with God, He is the same yesterday, today, and forever. It's not a guessing game with Him. There aren't constant trends to keep up with in being like God.
I challenge you to, with me, put God first in your life. Go to the heart of the issue and let God take control. Just sit back and watch what God can do in your life.
Hebrews 13:8
Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.
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