Idolatry is the worship of idols. When we think of idols, many of us think of statues in a catholic church, a Buddhist or Hindu temple. These statues are the more crude form of idolatry. Idolatry is much more than that. The essence of idolatry is putting someone or something in the place of God in our hearts, in our life. The essence of idolatry is to replace Christ as the great center and to put a person or a thing as the center of our lives, notre raison d'être , our reason for being.
Idolatry began in heaven when Lucifer believed he could do a better job running his own life than God could. Lucifer believed he should center his life around his own will and not God's will. Lucifer replaced Christ as his center 🔘 and replaced it with self. Then Lucifer went and convinced 1/3 of the angels that he could do a better job than God, he could bring them more joy than God, he could bring them more satisfaction than God. These angels then replace Christ as their great center and put in its place Lucifer who became the devil and he led them into ruin, eternal ruin . To replace Christ from the center of our lives for any other created being is to set yourself up for failure and ruin.
Idolatry is widespread in the world and in the church. Satan has continued that same policy of deception, convincing us that someone or something other than God is able to bring us more satisfaction in life. He convinced Eve the fruit could bring her more satisfaction than God and Adam was convinced that losing Eve was a greater calamity than losing God . So Adam chose his wife above God and made Eve his great center and look at where we are now as a result of idolatry? To make someone else other than Christ your great center is to be an idolater and sooner or later you will experience ruin.
" The heart is an idol factory," and the heart will seek to make anything or anyone other than God its center. We even have many Christians praying for God to help them serve their idols. Many Christians pray for a spouse more than they pray for Christ to abide in their hearts, pray more for wealth and health than for holiness and purity of hearts . And when God doesn't give them the idol which they crave, are discouraged, bitter and give up the faith .
Christ is to be our great center. In these last days of betrayals, unfaithfulness etc.. to put anyone other than Christ as the center of your life is to set yourself up for disappointment and ruin. Imagine making your spouse 👰🏽 as the center of your life and she cheats on you 💔, what will you do then ? What if your spouse leave you, abandon you for someone else, what will you do then ? Many people do crazy stuff because their spouse leave them for someone or their spouse dies , then despair, depression overwhelmed them and they soon die after . The Bible says " cursed be the man who put his trust in man, and makes human being his protection and whose heart departed from the Lord." Jeremiah 17:5
Christ must be our great center! Human beings, even those with the best intentions will fail you, disappoints you. Only Christ is able to truly satisfy us. Matter of fact we disappoint and fail ourselves and this is the reason we seek to make others our center, we are not able to satisfy our ownselves and why do we think none others but Christ can satisfy us 🤔? Christ must be our great center, our lives must revolve around Him. No one who puts others above Christ in their lives can truly worship Christ. Jesus must the reason we live for, not our spouse ,children, job etc.. Jesus and Him alone must be the center .
Mental illness is widespread in the land because many are putting people or things in the center of their lives instead of Christ and are unable to deal with sure disappointment that comes as a result. I remember reading the story of a young man who committed suicide because his girlfriend had committed suicide a while before. He couldn't see himself living without her, she was his great center 😔. The story of Romeo and Juliet which many people think of as love is nothing but idolatry. Romeo committed suicide because he thought she had died. Idolatry being presented as love. The young man destroyed himself because he lost his idol, his center.
Friends, you will only enjoy true peace in life when Christ and Christ alone is your great center. Let no one and nothing get between you and Christ. Your spouse, your child, your friends may leave you but Christ will never leave you nor forsake you. You don't have to worry about Christ cheating on you for He is ever faithful. You don't have to worry about Christ dying and leaving you alone , for He ever live to make intercession for us. Christ must be our great center. Never disobey Christ to please someone else, including your spouse and children. Never forsake Christ to gain someone else, including a spouse or a job.
Let Christ be your great center and you will have true peace in life, for He will keep you in perfect peace. I am never lonely even when I am alone physically because Christ is my great center. Forsake all for Christ , never forsake Christ for any. When God calls you may have to leave children and spouse behind ,but never forsake Christ for spouse or children. Lot made Christ his great center and and so he was able to leave his children behind in Sodom and his wife when she turned back. Let Christ be our great center, only way to life eternal . Lord be my center always is my prayer 🙏🏾
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