David Yarbrough
Matthew 22:37–38 (CSB)
He said to him, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and most important command.
What are your worship plans for today?
I would venture to say that most people, on most days, don't have a plan. I want to challenge you to make a worship plan for this day. And every day, for that matter. Because most likely, if you don’t,
you’ll end up worshiping the wrong thing.
God has wired us to worship. Everybody everywhere is worshipping something all the time. Our problem is not that we lack worship; our problem is that we're worshipping the wrong thing, and these things we worship are usually good things, but they're not God. And if God is not on the throne of our hearts, then something or someone else will be. And this is essentially what idol worship is: when we worship anything other than God.
Augustine taught:
Our greatest problem as Christians is not that we love the wrong things, but that we love the right things in the wrong order.
When we elevate someone to the point of worshiping them, we do them no favors. Everyone in this world is imperfect, and it is unfair to them for us to make them number one in our lives. No one should have to bear the burden of being our little “g” god. Over time, we will put too much pressure on them to provide for us what only God can provide. Many marriages and parent child relationships have fractured because of this. We must ask ourselves: Is there anyone that I have made into my little “g” god?
What is the problem with disordered loves?
Disordered loves lead us away from God’s Kingdom purpose and the abundant life that He has for us (Jn. 10:10). We will become enslaved to anything that captures our ultimate love and desires, and that thing or person can begin to control us. If we prioritize anyone or anything above seeking first God’s Kingdom and His righteousness (Matt. 6:33), then we are allowing our hearts to become idolatrous.
"If we desire to serve God, we must lay aside every other master, and come to Him with a single heart and a devoted mind." - John Owen
What role does prayer and spiritual disciplines play in ordering our loves?
Prayer and spiritual disciplines such as reading the Bible, worship, fellowship, and service can help us align our loves with what God desires for us. Through prayer, we can ask God to reveal the disordered loves in our lives and help us surrender them to Him. Spiritual disciplines also help us cultivate a deeper relationship with God and strengthen our ability to prioritize Him in our lives.
Matthew 6:24 (CSB)
“No one can serve two masters, since either he will hate one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.
What is the result of ordering our loves?
When we order our loves, we experience true freedom and joy in Christ. We can live a life that is centered in the Kingdom of God and grounded in His love for us. Also, we will have a clear understanding of our identity in Christ. We will have the ability to love others in a way that reflects God's love for us and use our gifts to live out our Kingdom purpose.
Take a moment to ponder and pray over your worship plans.
Consider what you love the most. Are your loves biblically ordered?
Is your heart ablaze to know God more deeply?
Psalm 84:2 (CSB)
I long and yearn for the courts of the Lord; my heart and flesh cry out for the living God.