Who (or What) Are You Worshipping?

I recall many a summer days my friends and I laid stretched out on the beach getting a tan. We spent hours and hours trying to attract the sun to our skin. We even put baby oil on to catch those rays. My friends teased saying we were going "sun worshipping."

It was true that we spent most of our days at the beach. It was what was most important to me as a young woman of the world. It is what I devoted myself to. Sounds silly doesn't it? But if I take a closer look at what motivated me to behave in such a way, it was pride. It was pride in myself.

One of the key steps of Christian growth is learning... yes I said learning, to put God over yourself and everything else in your life. You may gasp at the thought of you, being a Christian, could fall into such a thing. "Not me...never!" My spiritual siblings, I challenge you to inspect your lives to really see if this is true.

For instance, God's word says, "So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well." Matt. 6 :31-33

Are you "running after" "things?" Its so easy in today's world, especially as Americans. We want to have the latest electronics, the name brand clothes. We want fancy food served to us in nice restaurants. Don't get me wrong, in and of themselves these are not bad things. However, if we lose focus of God and make doing those things what is important, they become idols in our lives. Idols are things that we worship apart from God. Idols are things that our hearts long for. When the only thing our hearts need long for, when they are sold out for Jesus, is Jesus!