“Jesus said to him, ‘If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come and follow me.’ But when the young man heard this, he was sad and went away, because he had great wealth” (Matthew 19:21, 22).
God alone should be worshipped, and we should ensure that nothing else takes His place in our hearts. Surrounded by so many things that attract our devotion, it is not easy to love God with a pure, whole heart. But this is what we must learn to do.
Even Abraham, the father of the faithful, was taught to devote his heart completely to God. As Abraham’s aging favorite son Isaac began to mature, God saw that Abraham’s affection for Isaac was growing stronger day by day. Abraham needed to be tested. He needed to be taught that, if necessary, he could do without it. . . Yes, Isaac too, the greatest blessing ever received from God. God said, “Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering” (Genesis 22:2). Although at the last moment his hand was actually stopped from taking Isaac’s life, the suffering that Abraham went through to reach that point taught him that no gift of God should be allowed to occupy the place in our hearts reserved only for the giver. Whatever we hold on to except God must be let loose.
As our Creator, God is unique. Our need for Him is unlike our need for anything else that exists. He is the only being we have, the only thing without whom we can do nothing. We are to remain undividedly devoted to Him alone; That should be our only real “possession.” All other things must be loved with a love that we can give up, and if our attachment to something other than God is so strong that we cannot give it up, then that thing, whatever it may be, has become an ideal for us. Yet God loves us so much that He leaves us where we are. The trials and tribulations that break our hearts are often the providence through which God is teaching us that, in fact, He is the only One without whom we can do nothing. Although it is painful, it is the best thing that can happen to us.
The dearest idol I know,
Whoever that idol may be,
Help me to uproot him from your throne,
And worship you only.
(William Cowper)
Gary Henry – WordPoints.com AreYouaChristian.com
