This is 2nd in my series of things I want my children to remember in adulthood – God is above all.
Too many Christians take a nonchalant attitude about their Christianity. They attend church when they want to, they study their Bible occasionally and they feel good about doing so. Would God want that kind of attitude? In the Bible, our relationship with God is described in much different terms. Notice this passage:
“Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness? But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you. Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness.” (Romans 6:16-18)
The relationship here is that of a master-servant relationship. A servant does nothing of his own accord. He is told when to get up, what to do throughout the day, what to eat and where to go. We have been given free will, but we 'yield' ourselves either to the devil or to God. If we choose to obey God, then we need to be about doing His will and not our own.
I first read this illustration in a book written by Hannah Colley (now Gieselbach) called G.I.F.T.S. In the book, Hannah explains that many people think of Christianity as a 'piece of pie' of our life. We have a piece for eating, for hobbies, for school or work, and one piece for God. This is not to be. Hannah goes on to explain that God should be more like the middle of a wheel. Each aspect of our lives stems from the fact that God is at the center of it. God is above all. He is the reason we exist, therefore He should be the reason we do the things we do.
If this is true, then we won't take a job that interferes with giving time to God to worship. Now, there may be times where a person needs to in times of desperation. But their prayer should always be to be able to find a better position so that God can be worshiped in the way He demands. “God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.” (John 4:24) We can't neglect the fact that we should worship him in physical body as well – we must be present with fellow believers as well.
If God is at the center of all things, then our entertainment needs to be such that Christ himself could be sitting beside us watching and we would be unashamed. Do the characters take God's name in vain? Do they participate in adultery or fornication? What about drinking or other forms of bodily abuse? “Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.” (Philippians 4:8)
If God is above all, then we should be unscrupulous in our morality. No lie should leave our lips, our life and demeanor should be above reproach. “Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord:” (Hebrews 12:14)
In a world which honors self above all else, we must strive to put God in His proper place above ALL else. Let us live in this world, but not be of this world for our citizenship is above.