In recent days I have hit financial hardship unlike any other in my own life. I was without money for the longest time and was extremely concerned and worried about food and paying my bills. Truth be told, this financial low revealed my idols and revealed how much I actually live by what I say. I see that despite all God has provided for in the past, this time I chose to not trust in his steadfast provision. I often quote John Piper in his popular phrase “God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in him even in the midst of despair.” Truly I have forgotten the Gospel. I was so distraught and over-dramatic when I felt the weight of loss and despair. Woe is me that I have not truly lived and believed all that is promised in the scriptures by our God of hope. We need to remember that the Gospel is NOT, you accept Christ and you get everything you want. It’s you get Christ and he’ll be enough no matter what. Wow, what a beautiful and heavy truth that is. It’s in moments of loss and despair that we reveal to ourselves and to the world where our eyes are set and what we see as most important. Through prayer, confession and repentance, idolatry in me has been revealed in a new way.
My biggest Idols:
Security
Comfort
Respect
Appearance before men
Our prayer lives reveal the idolatry in our hearts.
Prayer expresses our trust in Christ and whether our mouths reflect our hearts and desires. When we pray it is a humbling act that is casting our life issues onto God and acknowledging that He is all powerful and we are mere humans. Trust is the biggest issue our church deals with when it comes to their faith. We usually don’t trust that God is going to do what he has promised or provide for our needs. The father knows our every need and by bringing it to Him we show our faith. But we must believe what we pray about or it is in vain.
It is now my prayer that I will continue to sit in and wrap myself in His steadfast truths found within scripture despite my situation. By doing this, Job was able to worship God in heartache and remain faithful and trust God. He did not deny his hurt but he casted it unto God and worshipped him because he knows that God is the only one who can save us from any depth.
Cast your cares on the LORD
and he will sustain you;
he will never let the righteous fall. -Psalm 55:22
CALL: My biggest prayer is that as a church (THE GALLERY) we would know the Gospel and come as we are, (dirty) and cast our cares unto him with full faith that He hears us. Also to know that the Gospel is that Christ is enough no matter what and we can live in his love and promises daily.
Let’s not just be able who says “yes I agree with those words” but a people who dwells in these ideas and continually lives in a state of worship of God by our faith in His promises and desires for our lives.
Love Christ. Love people. All else is peripheral.
John 3:30
