I recently spent some time meditating on the 10 commandments and was reminded of the danger of idols in my life. Because I sometimes act as if there are things more important to me than God, I could say, “These are idols.” In reality? In all these things I am serving myself. This means that I am the idol. Every choice I make that is not a choice to serve or obey God is a choice to do what pleases me. I want the final say in my life. I want to make my own choices for how I use my time and my resources. (They are mine!) I live in an age where this attitude is supported by society, but it is not the attitude God asks of his children.
God loves me and desires what’s best for me, and he doesn’t seem to think living a life of ease and pleasure is the best. He’s more interested in building character into my life than keeping my life trouble free. He’s more interested in my having a meaningful life than a pleasant life. He’s more interested in me needing to rely on his grace and sufficiency than being able to find the tasks he gives me a cinch to do. He’s more interested in my finding him to be my greatest joy than in my finding great joy in things that have no eternal value. His eye is on eternity, not just the next five minutes.
I suspect that gratitude goes a long way in keeping God supreme in my heart. Gratitude is a recognition that I am not self-sufficient. It focuses my attention on the one who blesses me instead of on myself. Living with that sense of blessing deepens my appreciation of who God is and what he has done for me. It makes me aware of what I owe God, instead of allowing my imagination to make assumptions about what God, or others, owe me. Grateful thoughts often remind me that God’s will for my life is better than my will for my life. It’s good to serve him instead of myself.