Whether you love her or not, you can't deny that Taylor Swift's fans aren't devoted. It occurred to me this week that being a Christian is a bit like being a Swiftie - at least it should be. I recently attended one of Taylor's concerts in Melbourne with my daughters. We spent the better part of a day on the ticketing website securing tickets, booked flights and accommodation, made friendship bracelets, planned our outfits, and listened to the set list on repeat. You could call us devoted fans.
We should be even more devoted to God because he created us and sacrificed his Son, Jesus, so that we can live eternally with him. Are you devoted to God? Do you love him? Spend time reading his Word? Talk to him in prayer? Meet together with other Christians? Spend time serving him? Lean on his strength and understanding? Acts 2:42 says, They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. The word used for devoted here means to continue to do something with intense effort, possibly despite difficulty; to devote yourself to something, to persist. (Paraphrase of HELPS Word Studies). Ephesians 5:8 says, In the past you were full of darkness, but now you are full of light in the Lord. So live like children who belong to the light. Paul didn't say we were in the darkness, he said the darkness was in us. When you decide to follow Jesus, you are filled with his light. That doesn't mean that you never sin, but we should become more and more like Jesus as we mature in our faith.
Are you full of darkness or light? Darkness = envy, greed, jealousy, gossip, hatred, violence, drunkeness, sexual immorality, idolatry, arguments, anger,complaining, bitterness, selfishness, foul language, blasphemy... Light = love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, gentleness, self-control, humility, forgiveness, gratitude, faithfulness, generosity, honesty... Ephesians 5:5 is a sobering warning to those who are immoral, impure, greedy or idol worshippers. You might not think that you worship idols, but an idol can be anything that takes up more time and attention than Jesus (apart from your work or studies). Another definition of an idol is ANYTHING that takes the place of God in our hearts and draws our attention away from Him. For example, money, possessions, reputation, celebrities, success, social media presence, TikTok, Instagram, fitness, etc. It's easy to be materialistic when you live in the western world and are constantly bombarded by advertisements telling you that you need the latest... [insert gadget, fashion, trend here]. Society tells us that we can't be happy until we have these things, but in reality any happiness gained from getting what you want is short lived.
Here are some other Bible verses about idolatry: Jonah 2:8 Those who cling to worthless idols turn away from God’s love for them. Exodus 20:3-5 Do not worship any god except me. Do not make idols that look like anything in the sky or on earth or in the ocean under the earth. Don't bow down and worship idols. I am the Lord your God, and I demand all your love. Matthew 6:24 You cannot serve two masters at the same time. You will hate one and love the other, or you will be loyal to one and not care about the other. You cannot serve God and Money at the same time. Are you greedy? Are there things that you want more than God? Next time you find yourself desperately wanting something, remember you just need Jesus. |
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