Slaves

Over the last few days, I've been pondering what it means to be a "slave" to something. If we are all honest with ourselves then we'll recognize (and admit) that we are all a slave to some thing. A slave to work, a slave to money, a slave to people, a slave to food, a slave to God.

I don't think I stop to contemplate my current "slave status" often enough. What am I serving today? What am I putting so much of me into that I can't get enough of it or, worse, I can't stop? I would love to say that each day I'm being a slave for the Lord. I'm serving Him, obeying Him, looking for and toward Him. I want to want what He wants and seek what He seeks. I want to spend all I have and all I am on glorifying Him. But I can't say that.

I see myself getting caught up in the world much more often than I would like. I spend way too much time on the computer, wasting time. I find myself much more content wasting money on things that I want, rather than considering how to best save for and serve our family. I want the newest bag or the hippest clothes. I want expensive, brand new this and that. However, I don't need it and I certainly don't deserve it.

I believe in treating yourself and having nice things - but if you're spending so much money on those "nice" things that they consume you and you're constantly looking after them and worried about their state, perhaps you've become a slave to it. If you are constantly in financial distress, maybe it's not that the Lord isn't providing a good income, but that your spending priorities are way off (this was a huge struggle for me before I got married and still is). Do you really need or deserve something new every month?

We've fallen prey to the world's standards. We've become so consumed with our culture that it's hard to say no to things that we don't really want. Or we can't say no to things that we've let ourselves believe we deserve or have earned.

Money has become so important to us that we can barely fathom that it use to be useless. Think of all the years of wars and depression that money had no value. Bartering and farming were your only hope of survival. Now, we work extra hours and go to school for six more years just to earn a handful more a year and become a slave to it.

Food is taking over our nation. We suffer from obesity and diseases. Eating habits are out of control and consume people in the worst way. Either you eat way to much or your don't eat anything at all. How have we lost perspective in such a short amount of time? How has satan won over us so easily?

What happened to giving God your first fruits? When did we stop believing that we need to give back to God? Where did we lose sight of making God our first priority and letting the rest fall into place? How did we convince ourselves that food (or money, or sex, or alcohol, or work) is much more satisfying that spending time in God's Word?

I, too, have victimized myself. I made myself believe that I just woke up one morning and all was different. I needed to eat a lot. I needed to have more money. I needed to work. I needed to have something better than what I already have. Day by day, I slip more into the ways of the world until the day comes where I no longer consider my Lord at all. How can we live like this when we know there is something so much better?

I don't know what you are a slave to. I'm not sure where your heart is. Stop whatever you're doing and consider what you're serving and where God is on your priority list. Not the god of church or bible study, not the god of doing good and speaking right. I'm talking about the One True and Faithful God. The God of Abraham, Issac and Jacob. The God who created you and longs for you. Where is sitting still before the Lord in fear and awe of His power and might on your list of priorities? Where is praying and seeking the Lord with all of your heart? Where is studying His word to know Him more? I don't know about you, but I need to re-evaluate my priorities right now because I'm not being a slave to God, but to the world.