Jealousy...
We all feel it. I feel several times each day.
I see people in loving relationships and I begin to desire a relationship of my own.
I see people with adjusted teenagers and I long for my daughter to have that relationship with me.
I see people buying new things, and you guessed it, I want the freedom to buy new things.
I see people who speak of faith that moves mountains, and I worry about my little mole hills.
Jesus Calling by Sarah Young spoke of jealousy this morning. But not as you would think. She spoke of God's jealousy of the idols we have. Yes, in Exodus, God talks about us not worshiping idols but I often think of those idols as golden calves or Greek gods. Days go by and I don't realize that I am worshiping idols in my own heart. Most days, I don't realize the power of God's jealousy.
Current idols are more subtle than ancient ones, because today's false gods are often outside the field of religion. People, possessions, status, and self aggrandizement are some of the most popular desires today. Beware of bowing down before these things. False gods never satisfy; instead, they stir up lust for more and more. - Jesus Calling by Sarah Young.
You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven above, or on the earth beneath on in the waters below. You shall not bow to them or worship them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God. Exodus 20:4-5
In the margin of my Bible, I have written that "quanna" means that God is jealous FOR something not jealous OF something. God isn't jealous of the little idols that we worship. Rather He is jealous FOR our attention- the focus, time and energy we put into those little idols. It's definitely "food for thought" as I go into my Saturday. How can I bask in God's goodness and not focus on my little idols? How can I focus on Christ throughout this day rather than putting my attention on the little things of my world?
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