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Wednesday, November 23, 2011

You Are What You Worship

You Are What You Worship

Every religion is based upon some conception of God. Unfortunately many religions are based upon a conception of false gods, and some are even based upon false conceptions of the true God.

One thing is sure, for those who choose to worship, their whole life and character is molded by the type of person they perceive their God to be.

Psalm 115:
1Not to us, O LORD, not to us, But to Your name give glory Because of Your loving kindness, because of Your truth. 2Why should the nations say, “Where, now, is their God?” 3But our God is in the heavens; He does whatever He pleases. 4Their idols are silver and gold, The work of man’s hands. 5They have mouths, but they cannot speak; They have eyes, but they cannot see; 6They have ears, but they cannot hear; They have noses, but they cannot smell; 7They have hands, but they cannot feel; They have feet, but they cannot walk; They cannot make a sound with their throat. 8Those who make them will become like them, Everyone who trusts in them.

Also God says in 2 Kings 17:15 "… They worshiped worthless idols and became worthless themselves..."  We read the same in Jeremiah 2:5: “…They worshiped worthless idols and became worthless themselves”.

Many of us grew up probably hearing the old saying, "You are what you eat." What God here is saying, "You are what you worship." 

People who worship a harsh and cruel god will generally become harsh and cruel themselves. People who worship a pretender, role player god will become generally role player and pretender themselves. People who worship a loving and caring God will become generally loving and caring themselves. So a person’s perception of God dramatically affects whether that person is a good person or not, and it ultimately will determine whether that person will live forever or be destroyed in the lake of fire.

So here's my question. What will you worship today? What are the things that we worship today besides God? What is it that we fix our eyes and even our hearts on that serves as our modern day idols? American idols or football stars? What are the worthless things that we revere that cause us to become like them, worthless? Is it Muscles? Is it Music? Is it the opposite sex? Is it money? Is it your occupation? Is it Games? Is it your Television? Or is it a celebrity?

What you worship becomes you. If it is Muscles, your eyes, mind and mouth will also keep being related to Muscles. You might keep looking at other people’s muscles, comment on them. Even when doing things you might think of what muscles you will train, you might even decide you daily activity depending on them. You might decide depending whether you can go gym in time, or whether you will lose your muscle mass. 

All these apply to having opposite sex, money, occupation, Games, Television, Celebrity and all that you can name as something that people worship. Your mind, mouth, eyes and ears will all be focus on what you worship, you become what you worship.

I think this is why the author of Hebrews encourages us to, "...lay aside every weight and the sin that so easily ensnares us. Let us run with endurance the race that lies before us, keeping our eyes on Jesus, the source and perfecter of of our faith..." (Hebrews 12:1-2).

Transformation and conformation to the image of Jesus is truly a gift from God. It comes from us constantly gazing at and seeking Him. From glory to glory and slowly but slowly He changes us to be like Himself but we must keep our eyes and our hearts fixed upon Him and not the worthless things. 

2Co 3:18  But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.

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