When my granddaughter was young, her mother gave her a small blanket that she quickly grew fond of naming it “boo.” She became very attached to it, and even as she grew older, she found it difficult to let go. Over time, however, she gradually outgrew her blanket.
In my morning bible study of:
2 Kings 10
Is a similar story of Jehu, a man who clung onto what mattered most to him and faced the consequences of his sinful actions.
Jehu was instructed to kill the descendants of Ahab and the worshipers of Baal, by the prophet Elisha, who acted under the direction of God. This was part of a judgment against the house of Ahab due to their idolatry and their worship of Baal
However, Jehu did not fully restore Israel to the pure worship of God
2 kings 10:31
but Jehu was not careful to walk in the law of the Lord, the God of Israel, with all his heart, he did not depart from the sins of Jeroboam, which he made Israel sin
Jehu left the golden calves to stand that King Jeroboam had set up as alternative centers of worship
He got rid of all the pagan idols in the foreign land and kept his own pagan God
He lost his influence; he lost his reputation, and he lost his reward
The consequences of his sin
As followers of the Lord, we must be prepared to surrender what is dearest to our hearts to Him.
Holding anything in our lives above God is considered idolatry
Anything that you make more important than following God is your idol
whether it’s -your child, your marriage, your car, your check book, your fame, your hobby,
it doesn’t make any difference what it is
The one thing that you won’t give up and lay it down before God, that is what your life will become
Surrender is a total commitment of God’s priority
Surrender is a total commitment of helping others to become what God wants them to be
Surrender is a total commitment to be willing to give up what is dearest to you
A few months early, in one of my bible studies, talking about this same issue,
what do I hold above God in my life?
I had to think about it as nothing was popping up in my head.
I prayed for God to open my heart and take the blinders off my eyes and reveal to me if I hold anything
in my heart above him. There has to be something, I just need to search deep in my heart
I don’t recall if it was that day or the next, but I broke down crying in shame
There was something that took presidency over my walk with the Lord
overly dedicated with blessing my own family on yearly trips to Disneyland
my #1 priority every day- making adult drool bibs to sell on my Etsy store
my #1 priority every day -was an app on phone that gives me audit jobs at stores.
I had to constantly refresh the app, waiting for an audit job to pop up and snag it as
it was, first come, first serve
just so I could earn enough money to treat my family to another year of happy family memories at Disneyland
so what’s wrong with that?
This is where the “except” clause comes in
“but God, I am not putting you on the back burner to pursue wealth for my own pleasure and greed
I am using the money to blessings others
Anything that you make more important than following God is your idol
God was not the priority in my life
sewing and making money to bless my family with yearly trips to Disneyland was my top priority.
That was my idol
Colossians 3:5
Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idol
This verse emphasizes that idolatry is not limited to the worship of physical idols but includes any earthly desires and behaviors that we prioritize over our relationship with God
I have since changed my priorities
While I still earn extra money to bless with others, I begin my day with coffee and scripture
Quiet time, one on one with God and keeping Him in mind throughout the day
Thanking Him for everything he has blessed me with
Thanking Him for the trials in my life that help me grow and mature closer to Him
Asking him to use me as his vessel today to shine His light though me, whether it be just a smile to a stranger, helping someone in the store reach something high on a shelf, Engauge in a conversation with a Stanger, I am always keeping my eyes open for any opportunity
I encourage you to take a moment to honestly examine your heart. What is that one thing you’re not willing to let go of. The thing you place above God? Is it a dream, a relationship, a possession, or a hidden desire? Whatever it may be, remember that true surrender to God means trusting Him with every part of your life, even the areas you hold most dear.
In giving everything to Him, you open yourself to a deeper, more fulfilling relationship with Him
Let go of what you’re holding back and allow God to work in every aspect of your life. Only then can you truly experience the peace and freedom that comes from wholehearted devotion to Him.
What is your………… “except”
