SCRIPTURE:
“‘At that time I told them, “Get rid of all the vile things that you’ve become addicted to. Don’t make yourselves filthy with the Egyptian no-god idols. I alone am God, your God.”
Ezekiel 20:7
OBSERVATION:
There’s a couple things I can’t operate without, my family, my friends good food and good shoes. Yes, I left out Jesus, but isn’t that a given? I mean when I look at what I do, who I do it for and how often I do it, it all finds it source in Jesus Christ and His message of grace, love and redemption. My life is consumed with Jesus related work and recreation with a blurry line at times to distinguish the two.
Too many times as I sympathize with the plight of the Israelites, my sympathy swiftly turns to fear that I may be doing the exact same thing. I hold on dear to the words of His covenant, yet I fail to operate under His authority as faithfully as I should or need to. I’ve become addicted to the comforts of following Him rather than active in the cause of following Him.
APPLICATION:
While I claim Jesus at the center of my life, the reality at times is that my arrows are aimed at the other circles of the target at times.
Yes, I proudly claim to be a minister of the Gospel of Jesus, but I at times I can only do it well if the conditions are right and suiting to my preference. What I realize is that my service at times is conditional and while I’m often able to re-center and refocus, I’m addicted to the perfect conditions to serve my service. I’m addicted to the right staging, addicted to the right lighting, addicted to the right sound support, addicted to the right people. I crave it all. Yes, I can survive without it, but it’ll only meet my expectation when it’s all in place.
I’m being warned that these addictions are there, even though they’re easily hidden behind all the action going on. As they are made identifiable, my response needs to come swiftly and consistently. If I’m to be addicted to anything, it need’s to be Jesus’ perfect love.
PRAYER:
Jesus, thank You for this pause in the middle of all the action to re-center and recalibrate my heart, mind and soul to You. May I be a pursuer of Your covenant rather than a consumer of Your grace. Thank you for the guardrails and guardians you’ve placed in my life to steer my path straight and that remind me to stay addicted to Your love and You alone.
