Romans 1:25 (NIV®)
“They exchanged the truth about God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator — who is forever praised. Amen”
I have been noticing lately how our natural tendency is to substitute things in this world in exchange for God. I don’t think we normally notice it too much unless we really stop and think about it. But lately circumstances in my life have made it necessary to take a closer look.
You see, we all have things we enjoy. Hopefully, those things are good and Godly. Hopefully, they are helping us grow in our walk with Christ. However, some of those same good and Godly things can shift into areas where they become the primary focus instead of Christ. We develop habits that cause us to think of those things as the “satisfier,” when God is the only one who can really satisfy.
We work hard for money because we want to be secure, when God is the one who meets all our needs (Philippians 4:19). We work to advance in our jobs because it substantiates our self-esteem. But what we think about ourselves should stem from what God thinks about us (Psalms 139:17-18). Maybe we focus on friends because we gain our acceptance and love from them instead of from God (Ephesians 1:3-6). Maybe it is something more superficial like food or alcohol that can alter our body’s response to the stresses and difficulties in life; they help us find release and peace from this world’s troubles. But God is to be our source of peace as we look to Him (Isaiah 26:3).
This is not an exhaustive list. We can use almost anything as a substitute and it can be a “good” thing. But what we do with it — where we let it rest in our hearts is what matters. Making money isn’t bad unless we make it our god. Getting promoted isn’t bad unless we see it as self-sufficiency or our self-worth. Friends are wonderful to have but they should never take the place of our friendship with God. Food is needed to live but when it keeps us from seeking God’s help in dealing with issues, then it is escapism. God wants to be our source in ALL things. He wants to be intimately involved in our lives. He wants to show us how He provides for us, what He thinks about us, how He accepts and loves us, and how He can help us through all of life’s difficulties.
Think about it. Ask The Lord to show you if there are any places in your life where you have either inadvertently or willfully given something else a place that belongs to Him. He has shown me some places that need work in my life. Join me in seeking to be fully His in all areas. Don’t make an “exchange” for Him. We want no substitutes.