Getting Things Upside Down

I was working on our bible study for City Life (Our College and Young Adult Large Group) the other day and we were looking at the story of the Rich Young Ruler. Thinking about his story really made me think about how we tend to get things upside down in life. The way that this happens is that we put things in our life in the place that only God should hold. For this rich ruler, it was his wealth and possessions. Jesus tested his heart by looking at his works to find evidence of his faith. Unfortunately for him, he was not able to give up his great wealth and possessions to allow God to have the proper place in his heart. So he walked away sad, without the eternal life that he was looking for.

We can easily find ourselves in the same situation. Jesus makes a list in talking to his disciples of different things that can easily take his place in our hearts. It could be money, possessions, houses, and even relationships. Thinking about this, I think we find ourselves in this position more than we might like to admit. We constantly find ourselves in the position of having a person, an ipod, a video game system, or maybe even a meal become our God. You might even find yourself praying this prayer to God: "God, if you just give me this one thing, then I will follow You and give You my life." In reality, that is placing that one thing in a higher position than God. If God gives us the relationship we want, then we will follow Him. Well, guess what, that relationship has become your god. If we can just have those shoes or that guitar, then we will be happy and can commit ourselves to God. In that case, those things are being worshipped as god, instead of the one true God. The opposite should be true - "God, you know that I want this thing, but if it is not in Your will for me then I sacrifice it to you." It is not the desire that is wrong, but the position that it holds in our heart. We have been getting things upside down, but let's get them right side up. God should be first and supreme in our hearts. All else is secondary and sacrificial.