At War with Self > I heard a really good message at Church last Sunday, and the Pastor started by declaring… “Everybody is a worshipper, whether saved or not. It’s just a question of who or what they worship.”

How does that make you feel? If you’re someone who does not believe in God, or God’s Word, how does it make you feel that you are still locked into being a worshipper? Human nature being what it is, we can’t help ourself. And why is this so important?

Here’s why > Most people are “Polytheistic” in their worship. They worship more than one god. Some of those gods are at war with each other. Which means you are at war with yourself! These gods battle within you, and you will never know peace until you…?

Here’s an example of what I mean. I have a friend I have observed for many years now, and I feel sorry for him. He’s got to be one of the most miserable people I have known. Two of the idol gods he worships, (whether he knows it or not), are diametrically opposed to each other. And they tear him apart! He can’t please them both. They are NEVER satisfied.

Idol god #1 > He loves spending money. New car. New phone. Eating out. Runs to doctors unnecessarily. Doctor and hospital bills! Apartment. Filed bankruptcy twice. Single, with no other dependents. Veterinary bills. Can’t seem to live within his budget no matter what. No matter how hard he tries!

Idol god #2 > He hates working to earn the money to spend! In other words, he would love to avoid working and pretty much does avoid it on everything he can. He’s actually told me the best thing to do is never get yourself in a place of helping someone or working in a way requiring hard work. Which adds to his problem because if something needs fixing, guess what? He hires it done! $$$$$

These are two passions or “drives” in his emotions constantly at war with each other. Therefore, he is at war with himself. If you have multiple idols in your life, examine to see how many of these false gods may be at war with each other, because it is not uncommon when it comes to idol gods. He’s miserable the whole time he is working to earn the money. And he can hardly wait for the weekend, which comes and goes in a flash. Back to work!

Polytheism is a hard way to live. Better to be monotheistic, One true God. But if that is asking too much of us, then try to have idol gods that at least agree with each other. But good luck with that! True peace and inner harmony only happens when the one true God sets you free from all those idols. $$$$$$

In our flesh, it is not a matter of whether we will ever be 100% free of personal idols in planet earth. But can we be 80% free? 80% is better than 50%. 90% is better than 80%. And 80% is better than 79%. And 81 is better than 80! How much more meaningful our life can be if we surrender to the ONE TRUE GOD. Everything else will always be just more hunger pains, no peace. We become more and more fragmented and splintered.

Little by little we have been working towards an understanding of L7D > Living in the 7th Day with God. The ONE TRUE GOD. A polytheistic life keeps us “divided”, “multitasking” in an unhealthy way, a tug-of-war, an inner battle zone of stressful emotions. No peace from the Prince of Peace. Polytheism is miserable! Peace comes in oneness with our true Maker.

If you ask yourself, “What is the meaning of life?” If you ask yourself, “What do YOU decide to be the meaning of YOUR life?” Does your answer make any sense? If life is just living till you die and then nothingness. That’s a pretty meaningless existence. If we all end in nothingness then it really doesn’t matter what we do. No one will remember in the end anyway. Only problem with that is, it’s hard to live a meaningless life. We need purpose and meaning. These little idol gods will not give you that. They only bring more division. We become more fragmented, not whole. We are a fragmented people, not ONE.

These divided idol gods show up in many ways. We all desire good health and vitality! We worship that! But we also worship a good time of alcohol? drugs? Sex? An affair? We worship bad habits that destroy our health and age us. We war against ourself. Only the ONE TRUE GOD can enable us to overcome our own stupidity.

We want to be a good husband and father, but we are lazy and fail to provide? Have an affair? We know we should be serving the ONE TRUE GOD, but we spend all our time building that hot rod, or fancy house. We have no time or money left over to serve God. We’re too busy trying to satisfy those false gods in our life. We’re too busy worshipping them. We’re all worshippers whether we like it or not. It’s just a matter of who or what we worship. Our Pastor is right, isn’t he. He’s right because God’s Word is right. He is a teacher of God’s Word, not his own words.

Was Adam worshipping Eve as she led him to eat that fruit? Look where that got us. Was David worshipping Bathsheba? Was Samson worshipping Delilah? Was Esau worshipping meat? Was Lots’ wife worshipping her home? Family? Was Judas worshipping money? And the rich young ruler who walked away sad? Was Peter worshipping fishing? Do you love these things more than me, Peter? What are we more passionate about than the ONE TRUE GOD? And the whole time He is offering us peace, wholeness, and eternity.

“Thou will keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on thee.” (Isa. 26:3) (A oneness.)

“The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light.” (Matt. 6:22) Not divided and splintered, but a oneness.

Now when Paul encountered the people of Athens, he had this to say to them, “So Paul, standing in the center of Aeropagus, (Mars Hill Auditorium) said: Men of Athens…”

“For as I passed along and carefully observed your objects of worship, I came also upon an altar with this inscription, To the unknown god. Now what you are already worshipping, this I set forth to you. The God who produced and formed the world and all things…”

“For in Him we live and move and have our being…” (Acts 17: 22 -excerpts.) Amplified version.

Jesus prayed: “And this is eternal life…to know You… the only true and real God… and to know Him, Jesus the Christ, the Anointed One, the Messiah, Whom You have sent.” (John 17:3)

Will we continue to serve idols and a splintered life? To be at war with ourself? What kind of life is that? We know the ONE TRUE GOD offers us healing and wholeness, but there must be a surrender. Will we surrender our own foolishness to become wise in Christ and in His Holy Spirit? God’s Word declares that God can take those stuck on stupid, of which I was one, and make them wise. Be healed in the name of Jesus!

“The law of the Lord is perfect, restoring the (whole) person; the testimony of the Lord is sure, making WISE the simple.” Psalms 19:7 (You would do well to read verses 7-14. They are powerful promises from God.)

L7D begins with knowing the ONE TRUE GOD, and Him ONLY will you worship. The Sabbath Day. We can live in God’s REST rather than our own struggles. By faith Abraham…?