There never has been a time when I have felt so strongly the call to all my friends to pull down everything that stands in the way of a relationship with God. I don’t know anyone who purposely sets out to set up something between them and God, but it happens. I don’t know anyone who sets up something as an object of affection that they don’t believe is a good thing. Who would purposely set up something bad to set their heart and mind on? But good things that take the place of God in importance automatically become bad… because they automatically become an idol… and God and idols have “nothing in common.” People, possessions, goals, intellect, talents, abilities, “giftings,” popularity, pleasure, careers, money, bling, portfolio’s, plans, dreams, desires, ideas, traditions, etc. all potentially good on their own can all get in the way of our personal relationship with God. We can be so stuck on a mate, our kids, our homes, the highs of power and control and adoration, things that reflect our glory, that we end up making God our enemy. And if we want to have all those things in a way that they do not overtake us and carry us away – then they all need to be subordinate to God in our heart and mind (it can’t be a mere preferred value – it must be an actual value, God knows!)! Listen to the music video. Listen to it more than once. Download the lyrics. Search your heart according to Jimmy’s definition of idols – is there anything in the way? Move any-thing and everything you can out of the way… and if you find some things that will not give way… ask God for the help to pull them down into their proper place. Anything that you let get out of order immediately seeks the number one spot that belongs to God… and when that happens, bad things begin happening (not because God is mad but because idols are cruel – they lead you away from the source of your joy and one bad decision leads the way to more bad decisions until we are completely entangled and estranged!). This is definitely the time to be centered on the foundation we have been given by God in Jesus. By that I mean that we are in the center, not near the edges, the fringes, to see what we can get away with. In the center, as far away from going off the edge as we can be. Behaviorally, it’s time to be Christ-based rather than just Christ-centered. To have Him in the center means that you can orbit around Him, and the orbit isn’t always round. To be Christ-based means that you are only doing what you see in Him. And the life He lived was filled with miracles and adventures and sharing the mind and heart of God Himself! He was surrounded by people; popular, famous, loved and adored… He was supernaturally provided for, operated from a keen intellect, had a life of laughter, the right kind of pleasure, the right kind of pain, and a daily accomplishments of helping people in life changing ways. He lived a life of purpose and significance! He was a success by any estimation. He had it all – without measure – without ever being carried away from the source of His greatness – God! Think about where you are today. What’s important? What are you fighting for? Where is your significance to be found? Who is making the final judgments on your life? There is only One answer and everything else just falls in place behind it!
Posted on: Sun, 30 Nov 2014 11:30:07 +0000
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