Worshiping Him Alone

We talk a lot around Sovereign Grace Ministries about loving the Gospel (Christ's dying work on the cross on our behalf) above all else. We want to bow our hearts to Jesus alone. As David Powlison puts it (and this is a paraphrase), we all worshipers and we all worship something. If we're not worshiping Jesus, then what are we actively worshiping? What is ruling our hearts, what are we bowing down to at any given moment in the day? If we're not bowing to Jesus, then we're worshiping an idol, a false god that will not satisfy.

My idol of choice tends to be love of ease. I want things to be easy. I want life to be a resort. Essentially, I want every day to be like my beautiful honeymoon in Maui with my wonderful husband: warm weather, bright sun, the ocean, falling more & more in love, no responsibilities, no worries, no laundry, no cooking, no tiredness, no messy house to clean. You might think I'm nuts to want this and you're right, I sort of am. But be honest, don't you want life to be like a resort? How do you respond when it's not?

My response is usually to complain or to get angry when things aren't easy. I'm bowing down to the idol of ease, worshiping that instead of worshiping God. Lately my temptation has been to do this complaining more inwardly than outwardly, but it still shows that I'm worshiping something other than Christ. It's true that it's uncomfortable to be 8 months pregnant and bending over all the time to care for my sweet one year old. It's true that I'm tired and I don't feel like cooking. But none of that changes the fact that because Christ died and saved me from my sins, I should be the most grateful and joyful person in the world. My heart should be bowing before Him and not the idol of ease. I am forgiven and loved by God! I am not condemned and separated from God any longer! I am reconciled to God because of the blood of Jesus. He alone is worthy of my worship. I want to bow down and worship Him, not my idol of ease that will never satisfy.

Even the warm sun in Maui is only a fleeting satisfaction. The joy of living for Christ is eternal. Let's bow our hearts to Him today and not to the false idols that cannot satisfy.