What is your god?

Work, money, television, beauty, music, school, a celebrity, grades, partying, fishing, alcohol, the opposite sex, sports, your friends... What or who runs your life? What are you obsessed with? What are you making your god?

These are questions that I have been pondering the past few weeks, and especially today. We have the free will in our life to choose how we live it, and we must make that choice wisely.

In high school, money and beauty was my god. To me, money was the way to happiness. It was the way to be able to buy cool clothes and afford the things I wanted. And believe me, I wanted A LOT! I would make a list of things I wanted to buy each week. Mostly clothes, swim suits, shoes and purses. Money apparently bought my happiness, but I was never happy enough.

So in college, I turned to school. I was broke as it gets because all that money I made in high school was spent. I put all my effort into school and grades. I made little to no time for anything but that and work.

Over those years, different things became my god periodically. Whether it was the opposite sex, partying or work. I rarely if ever made any real time for HIM.

I wish I could go back and say I did. I wish I could say that He was at the fore front of my actions and thoughts like many of the teens in the youth group I volunteer with. The truth is that He wasn't. He was maybe in my top 10 on a good day. The older I got, the closer He moved up to the top.

I realize this now. I realize why He is number 1 in my life. It is actually quite simple: everything else fades.

I do not own one cent from the money I earned in high school. None of the guys I have previously dated are still major parts of my life. College is done and gone with. I don't even remember most of the classes and grades I made. The parties have stopped and the jobs I had offer nothing to me now. None of these things can hold an everlasting happiness and rock. Nothing but the love of Jesus...

He is forever. His work never fades. That is the most powerful thing to me.

I am not condemning us who enjoy some of these things. I am not saying that sports, fishing and loving your other half is bad. These things are good, even great. It is when we make these things our life. It is when we live only to work. When we believe money does buy happiness.

It is not completely our fault. Our society today says to be self-reliant. It says you make your own destiny and that money is the way to all things. We lust and have idols, we make these items our god. I truly believe you can take that obsession and turn it into the glory of God. If you love money, donate some to your church or charity. If you love sports or fishing, you can easily turn this into an event to mentor those younger than you. You can take almost anything you have been through in your life and use it for the glory of God. After all, He made you.

It might help for those of us to realize that nothing here goes on with us when we meet our Creator. Your mansion, 5 cars and money in the bank stays here. Your good works though go with us. More importantly, the impact you made on others stays with them. Make that impact a memorable one. Live for Jesus, others, then yourself (JOY) :)

Another thing I want to make a quick note of, you are not unreachable. You are never so far gone that He will turn away from you...

Come to the waters,
you who thirst and you'll thirst no more.
Come to the father,
you who work and you'll work no more.
And all you who labor in vain and to the broken and shamed:
Love is here. Love is now...