Aug 31 2009
Personal Revival
From God’s Word:
Click and Read Joshua 24:14-27
Key Verse:
“Now then,” said Joshua, “throw away the foreign gods that are among you and yield your hearts to the LORD, the God of Israel.” Joshua 24:23 (NIV)
“Jesus, what in my life do I love more than You?”
I attended a conference this summer where author Lysa TerKeurst was the opening speaker. She told the story about asking Jesus that question and the impact His answer had on her life. He extended to her an invitation for what she titled a “personal revival” He pointed out a sugar addiction that took a lot of sacrifice and self-discipline to give up. She didn’t do it out of a heart of legalism, but out of love for Jesus, not wanting anything to have higher priority than Him.
Listening to her story, I initially responded with Love, more than Jesus? Why nothing, of course. He’s number One.
To which a still, small, whispering voice asked me, Am I, Becky?
Of course you are, Lord!
What about your Internet? If I asked would you turn off your Internet?
Oh, no, Lord, I couldn’t do that. I use my Internet to serve You. The time I spend on their is for good and useful things. I need it for writing my books, connecting with family and friends, and building my ministry platform. It’s not an idol. I don’t love it more than you.
Deep inside, I knew it wasn’t true. My laptop sits on my breakfast bar in the kitchen. It is accessible to me all day long. I catch every email, every blog comment, every Facebook status, and make sure the world knows what I’m doing with a play-by-play on Twitter.
Whenever my kids interrupted me this summer, I was so frustrated! I don’t know how many times I said, “You need to play upstairs or outside and quit interrupting me. I’m doing important work on my computer right now.” I was aware that my home was messier than I like it, that my kids were often talking to me through a computer screen, and that my time with the Lord was often used up by Internet activities.
I was right. I do good things on the Internet. But I was also wrong. It had become an idol in my life. I loved the endless wealth of information, the connection with like minded people, and the fun of creating blog posts on my personal blog. It was stealing my time, my focus, and distracting my heart. Earlier this week, I finally faced the truth and I felt so busted. I cried and continued to justify and defend my actions, but I finally had to confess the truth and repent of what that cyber connection had become in my life.
I carried the laptop upstairs, shut it down, and made a new guideline for myself. Computer time is reserved to times when my family doesn’t need me. My children will no longer speak to me through a laptop screen and Jesus will resume His proper position of supremacy in my life.
Last week I wrote about how God usually goes for a heart condition problem instead of a behavior problem. In this case, He did highlight a behavior, but it was because it was a symptom of a heart issue. I’m not saying Internet is bad. It was me loving it more than Jesus that was bad.
Personal Application:
You may not be able to relate to Lysa’s problem with sugar, or my problem with spending too much time in cyberspace, but I have a hunch there may be something else you could say has become an idol in your own life.
Join us in asking this question: Jesus, what in my life do I love more than you?
When He reveals the answer, ask Him for the strength to put Him number one again. Life works when He is on the throne. Messes occur when we run after worthless idols.
Do not become so focused on the behavior, that you glorify yourself as you remove it from your life. Remember, this is about getting your heart to the place where He is number one. It is not about you at all.
Dear Lord, Please reveal to me anything that has become an idol in my life. Give me the character to acknowledge it and the strength to remove it so you are first in my heart. Only You are worthy of that position. I am weak and need Your help. Make my heart and my priorities right before You. In Jesus’ Name I pray, Amen
More of God’s Word:
1. “I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. You shall have no other gods before me.” - Exodus 20:2-3 (ESV)
2. “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ -Mark 12:30 (NIV)
Love a less connected
: )