By: Chris

Read: Judges 9:22-10:18, Luke 24:13-53, Psalm 100:1-5, Proverbs 14:11-12

And because the Israelites forsook the LORD and no longer served him, he became angry with them.
(Judges 10:6-7)

Relate: Imagine a young adult coming home from work. He’s a young salesman at a big company. And today, he had just succeeded in making a CEO from another company sign a contract agreeing to invest huge amounts of money for them. Imagine his colleagues held a party for the success of the big project. He dropped off three of his colleagues at their homes and finally arrived home at 8 pm. He had to wash his clothes to remove the smell of hot pot. He had to arrange files for tomorrow’s work. He had to dump the cat litter and feed his cat. He had to fix his pipe which had accidentally exploded while the washing machine worked. He also had to fix his wifi router due to the soaking of the leaked pipe. Whew! What a day! He is lucky enough to have accomplished the big project, and he is unlucky due to the variabilities in life. He sat down, sighed, exclaimed how tiring life is, and remembered a verse from the last sermon: “but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength.” (Isaiah 40:31 NIV) Yet that reminder from the Holy Spirit faded as soon as he grabbed his phone and started doom-scrolling. He was clearly putting God behind, prioritizing other things before God. We know, of course, that the idol we’re talking about right now is not a K-pop sort of idol like YOASOBI; rather, the idols mentioned here are mere practices, thoughts, and passions that people put before God. So here’s the question: who is his idol? It is not his business, it is not his colleagues, it is not his housework, it is not his tiktok, it is himself.

React: People nowadays tend to find sources of problems in other stuff and push away their own responsibilities. All humanity tends to make themselves idols of themselves, pleasing their own desires before pleasing God, accomplishing their own ambitions before listening to God, or justifying their own action rather than praying for God’s forgiveness and guidance. Not only do non-Christians practice this selfishness, but Christians all around the world also have this mindset. We rarely spend time reading the Bible, praying to God, going to church, sharing and learning Scriptures with others, and practicing good characters, let alone preaching the gospel. If one asks a question like, “If I’ve insulted God’s name, can I still go to heaven?” I do not know how much you love God, but one sure thing is that this person loves going to heaven. This example and the story above help illustrate how people so easily make themselves idols of their own lives, and even Christianity becomes self-centered.

Yes, God loves us, and His love for us is so great that it overcomes the wrath that He is supposed to have towards us while we’re worshipping idols. But abusing God’s love is unwise and selfish. Luke 24:13-53 showed us how Jesus died for all our sins, including the sin of betraying our Lord Jesus Christ with idolatry and adultery. And yet, amongst all the justice the Lord has, He chose to die in our place and gave us so much mercy on our responsibility to fulfill. Jesus said His yoke is light, come and carry your cross, and follow me. Paul also said that the old self should die, and you should fight your own flesh after receiving eternal life. Paul said on the issue of “idols” that if you make yourself an idol (and everyone does), then let that idol die and crucify that idol, which is yourself, on the cross, to die and gain for Christ’s sake. Do remember this verse: “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me” (Galatians 2:20 NIV). Crucify your idols; crucify your old self on the cross. This is the first step towards responding to God.

Respond:

Dear Heavenly Father,
I am so grateful for Your new grace every day. Even though I usually am self-centered, and displeases You often, and yet You still love and look at me with the eyes of a father. Who am I to be worthy, and yet You disregard all my imperfections and selfishness. You run towards me with wide-opened arms and tell me, “welcome home” every time I stray away from You. Lord, I want to respond to Your insurmountable love, help me each day as I step out of myself, and step nearer to You.
Amen.