I wrote this as my status on facebook yesterday, after a terrible day that God redeemed, but I'm also keeping it here so that I'll be reminded of the truths that soaked into my heart when reading "Counterfeit Gods" by Timothy Keller. And maybe you're a friend who is not on facebook, this is also for you!
"Whether you believe in God or Buddha or someone else or no one else, we all have our pursuits, our goals, the things that drive us and define us. We can't live without these things and when they fail us, or we fail them, we often go down hard in a ball of anger or depression. It's because these things become gods. Yes, even those of you who have "no" religion have types of gods that you elevate everyday. We all can worship status, career, perfection, athleticism, creativity, beauty, and______ (name your favorite here). But the true God fills hearts much better then these pursuits we give our lives too. And don't get me wrong, I worship God AND athleticism, and being perfect in relationships, and being good at my job. But God wants me to live only for Him. And He is a good God. He doesn't elevate me to awesome one day and shove me straight under the bus the next day - like my job (and my ego) does. I hold my place of free and beautiful and loved everyday. It's not always easy, but it's good! Christianity is not following a list of commands - you do that already in your social circle and, you may have already figured this out, it's not very satisfying long term. It's believing in the gift sent in a baby named Jesus. And it's following a God that is helpful, forgiving, and caring not a god (and not people) that you can never feel good enough for.
Merry Christmas! This is how I send my love, because I know Jesus is just the BEST gift I've ever received!"
1 comments:
Back to basics is always wise. Thank you for (almost always) posting things that are worth knowing or thinking about!
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