“Never worship any other god, because the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is indeed a jealous God.”
Exodus 34:14
When we go to a concert or a performance, we sit and watch what is happening on stage. At that moment, our attention is focused on what stands in the spotlight.
Today I ask you—answer for yourself: Who is on the stage of your life? Within you, whom have you been honouring by giving all your attention? In your free minutes or hours, what takes up most of your time? Do you have a hobby or an addiction?
There are moments when we simply need to clear the stage. Remove everything. Everything. Everything that distracts us, holds our attention or takes up more time than it should.
When something is constantly on the stage of our lives and we sit there looking at it, whether admiring it or not, but in that position of contemplation, we are worshipping it. What do I mean? Perhaps you have become used to associating the word “worship” with God, but that is not always the case. It is possible that you are worshipping something else: friendships, social media, films, series, books, games, problems at work, other people’s opinions, money or pain, for example.
Hold on. What do you mean, pain? Yes. We worship pain when we remain in self-pity, when we stay bitter, when we refuse to forgive, when we want to remain ill in order to receive attention, or when we value problems more than the one who can solve them. We worship pain when we compare ourselves with others and feel inferior, when we accept the labels that people or the devil attach to us and keep fixing them in our thoughts and feelings as though they were true.
You worship friendships or relationships when these people’s opinions or presence become more important than God’s own. Even missing someone you love can rob you of precious moments in God’s presence or with other people who are around you today. And even if no one is beside you, the Comforter, the Helper, the Holy Spirit is there. He knows you, is real and is available to you.
And what about worshipping the god Mammon—money? “No one can serve two masters, because they will either hate one and love the other, or be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and Mammon.” — Matthew 6:24. “But I worship only God the Creator. You haven’t caught me out with that one!” you might think. Really? Here are some situations in which money is worshipped and the devil delights:
– Being constantly distressed about money: when it costs you sleep or peace, when you cannot relax, or when financial problems, debts and similar concerns make you ill;
– Being excessively sad because you cannot buy something;
– Arguing with family members over money: when you cannot have a healthy conversation to find a solution and tempers rise to the point of disrespect;
– Buying something to relieve emotional pain; buying without considering the budget and how it could negatively affect the family; hiding a purchase from your spouse; buying things you do not need—some people keep new things stored away unused because they bought simply for the sake of buying; taking on unnecessary debt when you know you will not be able to repay it, yet still buying or doing something for a moment of happiness;
– Not giving to God, not giving gifts or sharing what you have with others;
– Being oppressed by fear of hardship and not spending on things you need, even when you can afford them;
Yes, the enemy is cunning and subtle. So think. To offer God a thoughtful, pure act of worship, consider whether you have been worshipping something other than the LORD. What takes up most of your time? What governs your decisions? Whatever it is, pull it off the stage of your life. Make room for the King to enter and reign: Jesus. May your eternal and deepest worship belong to him alone.
Give God more time. Seek his voice more. Desire to hear his opinion more. Pray more. Speak more with the one who loves you most in the entire universe. Give him the value he deserves. Give him the stage of your life, sit down and watch him do mighty things in you and through you. When he owns the stage, the glory is his, but you have the privilege of living a Spirit-led life in which you do not write your own story, but live the one he has written for you.
“For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God.” — Romans 8:14
