What We Worship

The more of N. T. Wright I read, the more I understand why he has been referred to as a contemporary C. S. Lewis.

According to Wright: “You become like what you worship. When you gaze in awe, admiration, and wonder at something or someone, you begin to take on something of the character of the object of your worship.”

When I came across this, I was immediately struck by Wright’s honesty.

It goes without saying that God expects us to worship Him.

When we choose to place anything or anyone above God, we immediately become guilty of idolatry.

But that is not all.

Something else occurs when we place things or people above God.

We dehumanize people who, like us, are created in the image of God.

For those who place power above God, people become just another commodity to exploit.

Dictators and despots throughout history have done exactly that.

Genocide, starvation and poverty on a mass scale begin the list of atrocities of those obsessed with power.

History bears this out.

Placing wealth above God can also cause us to dehumanize people.

Those who do look upon others as merely creditors, debtors, credit scores, bad risks and so on.

This dehumanizes people.

The worship of power and wealth merely begin a long list of ways of ignoring God and disregarding His image. 

That is why it is imperative we worship God exclusively.

When we do, He helps us keep everything else in check.

For believers whom God has entrusted with power, God helps them use it to better the conditions of people.

For believers whom God has entrusted with wealth, God helps them be charitable.

Honesty is another thing God expects from believers in whatever career to which He has led them.

Work, after all, is a task ordained by God in Genesis.

Adam’s job was to tend the garden God created.

Genesis 2:15 (NET) - The Lord God took the man and placed him in the orchard in Eden to care for it and to maintain it.

Regardless of our role in life, we must make certain that we worship God exclusively.

In doing so, He will help us succeed in our journey through His world,

Proverbs 3:6 (NET) - Acknowledge him in all your ways, and he will make your paths straight.

Finally, we must remember that those with whom we engage either directly or indirectly are human beings.

Each and every one of them is made in the image of God.

Genesis 1:27 (NET) - God created humankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them, male and female he created them.

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at http://faithfulfeetteam.blogspot.com/ on Friday, February 15, 2019.

I will be back here on Friday, February 22, 2019