Does God Have Your Whole Heart? 4 Questions to Ask Yourself.
“Nothing teaches us about the preciousness of the Creator as much as when we learn the emptiness of everything else.”
― Charles Spurgeon
How often do you take inventory of the things you’re worshipping? As a follower of Christ, you may not think you are worshipping any idols, but many of us do. It’s not because we don’t love God or want to worship Him with our whole heart. Often we do but things like fear, the desire for comfort, or past wounds hold us to back from giving Jesus our complete devotion.
So what is an idol? It’s anything we worship that isn't God himself; something we put in the place of God in our lives. Whatever is god in your life will get your time, devotion, and attention. It's where you find our identity, purpose, and value, and the thing you run to for help or relief when in difficult times. Many of us don't set out to put God second and worship a job, spouse, money, or people's opinions, but it happens. Through one unintentional or fear-driven decision after another, we make God second in our life, sometimes thinking He's still first.
Idols are tempting because they offer us “control”, comfort and ease. We think these things will make us happy and complete, but when they don’t deliver - when we chase money and then lose our job and savings - we’ll blame God as if it’s His fault. As if he told us to live that way in the first place. You see, idols serve our own interests and make us slaves to them, but we are called to serve God’s and his Kingdom and walk in freedom.
Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.
Psalm 139:23-24
Our Spirit desires to please God, but our flesh desires to please self. Moreover, our adversary (the devil) is always scheming to get you out of God’s will by worshipping the things of this world instead of Christ. If you’re not careful, idols will sneak up on you! That's why it's crucial to take inventory of your life daily. First and foremost, seek God. Pray and ask Him to reveal any idols that are in your life. Be still and listen. He may show you then or at a later time. A personal and authentic relationship with God is key. If you don't currently have a daily devotion time where you pray, read the Bible and seek God, start there.
In conjunction with seeking God you can ask yourself four questions to determine what, if anything, you’re worshipping instead of God. Before you go through this list, no that there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ (Romans 8:1). God doesn’t expose these things to bring you shame. He exposes them so that you can finally walk in freedom and experience the wholeness and satisfaction that comes only through knowing Him.
And we know that the Son of God has come, and he has given us understanding so that we can know the true God. And now we live in fellowship with the true God because we live in fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ. He is the only true God, and he is eternal life. Dear children, keep away from anything that might take God’s place in your hearts.
1 John 5:20-21
Where Do I Find My Worth, Identity, and Purpose?
Where do you find your worth? In being a daughter, spouse, or parent? In your school or career achievements, relationship status, or follower count? If all those things were to be stripped away who would you be and what would you have left? Would you still feel as if you had a purpose?
A creator defines an object’s value. Therefore, your worth isn't determined by who you know, what you do, or how much you have. It's determined by God. He has given each of us a purpose and identity that is found only in Him. Think about the areas of life where you feel less than because of what you don't have. Are you allowing God to define you or something else?
For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.
Psalm 139:13-14
What Do I Turn to When Life Gets Hard? What Do I seek for relief and peace of mind?
When you're afraid, anxious, or upset what's your default response? Do you dwell on the problem and let it consume you, try to numb your feelings with sex, shopping, or drugs, or rely on other people to fix the problem? How often is your first response seeking God? The bible tells us that God is peace and that he will give us peace when we surrender our cares and troubles to Him (Philippians 4:6-7). It's not a sin to have a healthy way to relieve stress, like exercise or talking with a friend or counselor, but it is a sin to make those your source instead of Christ.
Where Do I Invest My Resources The Most (i.e Time, Money, Talents, etc...)
For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
Matthew 6:21
How you spend your money, time, and talent is a good indication of what's important to you. If you value your family then you'll spend time with them. If you value your career and then you'll put effort into your work and look for opportunities to go above and beyond. Likewise, if you value God and His Kingdom you'll prioritize His will. As followers of Christ, we are called to imitate Christ and live as He did. This world is not our home. We are called to live for something greater than what we can see right now. Take account of how you spend your resources, it will reveal what you're truly living for.
What Drives My Decision Making?
Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take.
Proverbs 3:5-6
When it's time to make a decision about where to live, boundaries in your life, how much you’ll tithe, who to marry, what type of show to watch on Netflix, ANYTHING, what do you base your decision on? Fear, the need for control, your family’s opinions, what's trending or socially accepted, OR wisdom and conviction from the Holy Spirit? If you are living for Christ then you are living to honor Him in all you do. This will cause you to be different from the world. You won't be able to wear every fashion trend or watch the movies that everyone else is raving about. You may stay single longer than expected as you pursue purity and wait on God's best. You may even be called crazy by friends when you follow God and take huge leaps of faith.
So ask yourself - what’s the “why” behind the choices you’ve made?
How to Overcome
Becoming like Christ doesn't happen overnight. God is constantly sanctifying us and conforming us to the image of his Son, Jesus. As a follower of Christ, there is no condemnation, only grace. God reveals our sin to us not to shame us but so that we can be set free. Whatever idols you have, surrender them to God. Be honest about your desires and motives because God already sees them. He's just waiting for you to invite Him into that area of your life so that he can deliver you from your the strongholds that keep you seeking those idols - your fears, past, and false beliefs. Keep your focus on Jesus and rely on His wisdom, strength, and guidance. He will never lead you astray.
