- "The land is full of idols (Isa.2:8)". After all, that's what addiction really is---it is worship.
- Addiction is from the Latin word "addictus", which means "to surrender to the gods."
- Addiction goes deeper than obsession and compulsion. It is worship.
- Desire is intended to be the fuel of human relationships. It propels us to want to engage with others and with God. God made us to hunger for relationships. Addicts are ensnared when they believe that they can completely and continually satisfy that hunger with something that ultimately devours them.
When first converted I thought true worship was because of two facts: we did church right and we didn't do it wrong. That seemed to be both the message and the conclusion. And all 50 of us agreed.
I wasn't a praiser of God in church or out. I was a visible leader who had drive, and enthusiasm, and courage. I didn't praise God for I was devoted to doing so well the church would praise me.
I wasn't a prayer to God. I had work to do. Strangely, I couldn't figure why He had chosen me to possess such grand insight to spiritual matters that all these people before me had obviously failed to note. So once again, I was on a roll in the realm of being impressive.
But it was a lie. I was a liar. I wasn't worshiping God. I was worshiping my (very little) knowledge and my (very inadequate) talent. Although I knew I hadn't arrived it felt to me like I was surely ahead of so many who had surely been blindly trained.
I worshiped my own image; young, brave, outspoken, and well-liked by those I esteemed important in the church.
Sharon Hersh is telling us something ultra-important. We are addictively distracted.
Our worship has failed to reach God for so many moments because we have stopped to worship the created rather than the Creator.
No comments:
Post a Comment