In my life I have found that I seem to want the best God has to offer me along with something else that I would like to have. I want God's protection... but I pick fights. I want God to provide for me financially... but I want to choose how I spend what He provides. I want God to make my life easy and secure... but I don't want to change the way I live.
I've been reading in Judges 17 and 18 the last two days and there is a story about a guy named Micah. It seems he stole some money from his mother, a lot of money. She got made when she discovered it was missing and she cursed the thief. Later, for some reason, Micah gave the money back to his mother. He told her he heard the curse she pronounced on the thief so maybe he was feeling guilty and didn't want the bad stuff she said to happen to him. Anyway, he gave her the money back with no apology. And instead of punishment his mother praised him for returning the money. It turns out that she had dedicated that money to God and had determined to use it to make some idols to use in worship. But instead of using it all (as she had dedicated it all) she uses only a small portion, about 15% and makes several cast gods to worship. Later in the story when a Levite outcast comes to live with Micah we hear him say, “Now I know that God will make things go well for me—why, I’ve got a Levite for a priest!”
It seems to me that we often worship God-And... God-and my own decisions. God-and possessions. God-and my spouse. God-and what makes ME feel good. God-and what I want to do. And we seem to have no problem with it! We wonder why God isn't working more on our behalf? We can't figure out why He isn't providing financially for us? We try to discern why our marriages, children, relationships aren't more stable.
As it turns out, God may not be working in your life because you're doing the exact opposite of what He wants from you. God may not be providing for you financially because you're making poor financial decisions that don't put Him first where your money is concerned. Your marriage or other relationship may stink because you've made your spouse or someone else the god of your life and you try to please them instead of Him.
God wants to be first in your life... He demands it. And He should! He's the creator and sustainer of everything, including you! The first and greatest command is to love God with all that you are. But we often love God with all that we can spare. See, I love possessions, power, position, people and pesos. I want a God who will help me keep all of that and then give me what I want from Him as well.
When we put God first and only in our lives we truly begin to live. Not God-and... God-only.
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