Today, I looked at my mountain of laundry and said, "You are not my life." Then, I walked into my kitchen and as I stared at the piles of dishes on the table, the counter, and the stove, I declared, "You are not my life." I said this because Christ is my life. I died and my life is now hidden with Christ. My life is not in this temporary house. My life is the Lord Jesus. I turned on this Tim Keller sermon. I did the dishes but I reminded them and myself that they are not my life.
When I re-read this opening paragraph I think some people will think I have lost it and I am a fruit loop. I am not saying doing dishes is bad. I am saying it is not ultimate. Of course, the laundry needs to be done but it is not ultimate. And, at least for me I find myself feeling good about myself when my day goes according to my plan. And, I find myself quite frustrated when I am not achieving my ideal.
A clean, large, perfect home in the suburbs is a cultural ideal. It should not be where I get my value. Even if I live my American dream for 70 or 80 or 90 years I don't get to take it with me. And, my house isn't who I am.
You will love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind. You will not have any other gods before me.
An idol is not a little golden statue. And, yes we all bow to something. An idol is a good thing that we make an ultimate thing. An idol is something that when we have it we are satisfied and happy. An idol is something that makes us feel great when we give it what it wants. And, if we don't have it or meet it's cruel demands we are devastated. An idol is what drives us. An idol is what we live for. An idol is where we get our value. It is what we spend our time, our physical and mental energy, and our life on.
Lord, give me an undivided heart that I might praise your name.
Martha, Martha, you are worried about many things. Mary has chosen the one thing that is needed and it will not be taken from her.
I want the Lord to unite my heart and help me live for Him alone!
*This is a link to my all time favorite Tim Keller sermon. Christ is changing me and I keep listening over and over and over because I need this truth. I want to be set free.
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