“No one can serve two masters." ~ Matthew
6:24
Every Saturday morning Eric and
his children gather around the kitchen table for devotion. Even with the bribery of hot chocolate and
marshmallows, it’s still a lot like herding cats. But every so often, the Spirit of God shines
through the haze of competing attention bandits.
Last week, for example, their journey through the Old
Testament led them to the book of Daniel.
Mesmerizing stuff for an 8, 5 and 3-year-old: pet lions, crazy dreams,
pagan magicians … and unwavering faithfulness in an ungodly culture of
nonbelievers.
The story told of a giant,
golden statue. Back in Bible times,
false gods were easier to identify. But
idols aren’t quite as obvious today. So,
Eric asked them, “What’s an idol?” The middle
son replied immediately: “Anything you love more than God.”
Pleased as a dog with two tails, Eric continued. “What are things that some people might love
more than God?”
“Okay. So those might
all be idols. But how do you know
if something is an idol; something that you love more than God?” Unexpected silence followed.
Then Jason, the oldest, nailed it. “You know it’s an idol if
you think you can’t be happy without it.”
Bam! There it was, almost
like God served up something for Eric in this devotion too. The more he pondered it, Eric realized just
how right Jason had been.
Money, power, beauty, comfort - which of these did he hold
in such esteem that he couldn’t be happy without them? More than he’d care to admit. But, no one can serve two masters. It’s one or the other. God designed us to do only one thing for all
time—and that is to keep our heart, soul, mind, and strength focused on serving
Him alone.
Humanity is broken. We’re all looking for answers to solve our
problems and too often turn to the wrong things for hope. Instead of striving to behave in God’s
likeness, we’re trying to mold God in our own image of what He should be like.
Thousands of years of human existence has proven that we
aren’t on an evolutionary trajectory upward; but rather a continuous cycle of
chaos. The only way we’ll ever escape
this mess is stop turning to gods that can do nothing but deceive us.
True satisfaction; true worth; true joy; true fulfillment -
can only to be found in Christ. Everything
else pales in comparison. And if they
were all taken away? If there was
nothing or no one?
There would still be Jesus.
Almighty God, thank You for Your amazing work in
our lives. Thank You for Your goodness
and for Your blessings over us. Thank You
for bringing hope through even the toughest of times – turning anxiety into
peace, sadness into joy, and grief into comfort. Amen
