I have to make a confession. I like to watch reality shows. I know there's not much there that's really positive but I think I like to watch them because I'm intrigued by human nature. The thing that gets me is that the people on these shows will lie, cheat, steal, connive and deceive and still look at the camera and say something like this, "I'm not really like this at home, I'm really a good person" or "I consider myself a good person but I'm in this game to win, I have to be true to myself."
What does it mean to be true to ourselves? Does it mean that we can do anything we want as long as we think it's right or okay? Does it mean that we can lie, cheat, steal, connive, deceive and hurt others as long as we're benefiting from it? Have we changed the golden rule from "do unto others as you would have them do unto you" to "do unto others before they do unto you"?
In the book of Joshua, chapter 24, at the end of his life, this mighty leader of Israel is on his death bed and he calls the people together and lays it all out to them. He tells them that if they stay true to God then they will enjoy God's blessings but if they turn away from God they will suffer His judgment. In verse 15, he tells them "choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve." The people all respond by saying that they would serve God. Joshua goes on and tells them how serious this choice is and the people say over and over again that they will serve the Lord. Then Joshua tells them that they will have to put away all of their foreign gods. You see, while the people are standing there saying that they will serve God their homes are full of images of, and altars to, foreign gods.
I wonder how many Christians are like that. We go to church and we claim to serve God but in our hearts we're really only serving ourselves. I personally think that here in America the foreign god that most people serve is self. We've decided what's right and what's wrong, what's good and what's bad and as long as we're true to ourselves we can do what we want and still be "good people."We've made ourselves god. The sad thing is many of us are like the Hebrews; we're sitting in our pew on Sunday morning singing "How Great Thou Art" while in our hearts we've tucked away the little foreign god of self. We claim Christ but when it comes to obeying Him we rationalize and justify our actions so we can feel good about ourselves rather than repenting of our sin.
Choose today whom you will serve.
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Editor's note: Paul Bryant is the pastor of First Baptist Church, Garfield. He can be contacted by email at [email protected]
Religion on 05/07/2014