Make Sure Your Treasure is Fireproof
“Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry.” (I Cor. 10:14)

At first glance, one might be tempted to say, we don’t worship idols in America. That’s done in pagan countries. And I suppose in a sense that’s true. Most of us don’t set up a figurine before us and bow down to it. I think it is important however for all of us to consider that most of us do have something(s) in our life to which we are so attached that it keeps us from being used effectively by God to minister to the needs of others. Jeff Foxworthy speaks about how one can tell if he might be a redneck. I frequently ask myself if I might not be an idolater, if I believe others will be more impressed with my personal testimony because I drive a Cadillac rather than a Ford, if I tell God I’d be happy to go the mission field, but I have too many responsibilities right now, if I think I’d have a lot more time to witness if I were financially independent; and the list goes on, if I want a bigger, fancier boat so I can take more people out fishing, if I want more, more, more, when I already have so many “things” I could sell them and live comfortably for the rest of my life in most countries without ever working again.

Most contemporary westerners have an incredibly distorted concept of how to measure success, and I’m relatively certain it all began with my generation. We are goal driven to be sure; and that wouldn’t be so bad except that for most of us, those goals are to acquire things like huge houses, several fancy cars, big boats, ATVs, SUVs, 60 “ plasma screen TVs, 1000 watt surround sound stereo systems, Rolex watches, 3 karat diamond rings, and mounds of gold jewelry. To say that our society is obsessed with declaring ourselves accomplished is to grossly minimize the problem.

I am convinced the main reason so many of us fail to speak out against ungodliness when we have the chance to do so is our desire to make sure we do nothing that will jeopardize the important and comfortable position to which we have risen in this earthly life. It is often more important to us to maintain the status quo and not to upset the proverbial apple cart than to model godliness to those around us. I am likewise convinced that is our twenty-first century, All-American version, of idolatry. I am not suggesting there is anything ungodly about modest possessions. I am suggesting that most of us in America have forgotten, or never knew, the wondrous joy of leading a lost soul to the saving knowledge of Jesus, because we’re too busy maintaining those possessions we believe convince our friends and neighbors we are so successful. God, speaking to us through the apostle Paul, makes it abundantly clear not one physical thing we own will enter with us into eternity. It will all burn up in the fire. However, every lost soul help find his way into the kingdom of God, by our lives and our words, will be jewels in the crown we will wear for eternity.

A dear friend and brother in Christ just recently took a solid biblical principle (an example of twentieth century idolatry) and applied it to his life. He realized his family was more important than his job. He decided the tears of his daughter that came because he had missed an important event in her life, were enough to cause him to tell his boss he wasn't going to continue missing out on his children's lives for his job. Of course, all of us who need jobs to pay our bills have to find the godly path He would have us take. We can't just up and quit a job because it is an inconvenience. But if we have our priorities in line with God's word, we can discern when our job is making it impossible to be the godly father and husband we must be to be pleasing to Him.

In closing, I leave you with this one last thought taken from Mark 8:36, “What shall it profit a man if he gain the whole world and forfeit his soul?” I think it's also crucial to ask ourselves, “What shall it profit a man to gain the whole world and not help others enter into the kingdom of God?” If you're not bearing fruit, it may be because you're too busy making sure you and your family have all those great things that will burn up in the fire (I Cor. 3:13-15; Jude 23; II Pet. 3:7).

Love in Jesus,
Brother Dave