by Tim -

Who’s the Boss?

Thousands of years ago, many people’s ideas of God were very primitive. They worshiped sticks and stones, earth and water, the sun and the moon. Now thanks to science we know how silly they were, and we are much more “advanced.”

But many people today still have an odd concept of God. They worship vending machines and butlers. What I mean is that the way that they interact with God is the same as you would a vending machine or a butler. They don’t usually want much to do with God, and they definitely don’t want God interfering with their lives. But if they have a real need or problem, then they cry out to God to fix everything or clean up their mess.

If you think about it, treating God like a vending machine is as silly as believing some stick is God.

What do your typical interactions with God look like? Are you always asking Him for things? Do you constantly expect Him to meet your needs and take care of you, and yet if you’re honest you treat Him as if He was just a lowly servant?

Do you respect God? Do you fear God? Do you see yourself as His servant and your purpose on this earth is to make things better for Him? Do you live for Him, or do you just act like He lives for you?

I think we’re still pretty primitive… we’re full of backwards thinking. We live as if we’re God, and God is our creation that we get to boss around. How messed up is that?

Let me leave you with an even deeper thought… if our concept of God doesn’t line up with who the Bible reveals God to truly be, then do we know (or have a real relationship with) the one true God? Is God your God? Or have you made yourself God?

by Tim -

False Security?

We live in a “Guarantee” society. When we purchase big ticket items, they often come with guarantees. If we become unsatisfied or if the product breaks, the company will take care of it. They’ve got us covered, and this gives us a sense of security.

For most of the “big ticket items” related to our American life we can purchase insurance, which is also a type of guarantee. We can get car insurance, boat insurance, renters or homeowners insurance, health insurance, disability insurance, and of course life insurance. We can even get our money federally insured, so if someone would steal it out of a bank, the government will replace it.

Having insurance gives us security that even in a worse case scenario, things will be taken care of. We’ve got ourselves protected; all the bases are covered; we think we’re safe, but in a sense we’ve only surrounded ourselves with bubble wrap.

We develop this false sense of security and safety. We insulate ourselves and try to remove ourselves from anything that might cause us to worry, because we want to be able to relax and enjoy life. But in the process we forget how truly short life is, and we become distracted and don’t prioritize the really important things in life.

No one knows how long they have on this earth. While we think that we will be here for a long time, there is no guarantee that we will be here a week from now, or even ten minutes from now. Research has shown that 10 out of 10 people die… it’s only a matter of time.

So why do we live as if we have forever? Why do we waste our days away in trivial pursuits? To quote Annie Dillard: “How we live our days … is how we live our lives.” Why do we keep putting off the most important things when this life is but a breath?

Do you realize that you could die today… that it’s honestly a real possibility? Are you ready if your time is now? Are you ready to stop playing games with God? Are you ready to start living?

Luke 12:15-21