Altars

Not to be confused with idols, an altar is anything in our life that we spend energy and time maintaining for the purpose of worshiping at it.  The thing being worshipped  (the idol) is usually us and the feeling or distinction we get from maintaining that altar.

In church last week, we talked about altars.  Altars are dangerous because they steal energy ad time from the only One True altar that should be in our lives.

Looking at the book of Kings (1& 2), we see that the author is reminding the people that they are accountable to God's law and to worhsiping at His altar alone.

We all have altars in our lives.  Things that distract us from giving all of our worship energy and all of our worship time to God alone.  For the nation of Israel, this led to their total destruction and exile.

For us, little altars of Pride and Desire creep in and rob God of some of our focus and energy.  If we are not careful, they become altars that we spend energy and time to maintain even though they distract us from God's perfect love.  They also distract us from loving others the way we are supposed to.

Altars in my life sometimes look like pride or zealousness  for my family; my kids character, or my wife's honor.   Sometimes, they take the shape of glory days that can't seem to be let go of; or expectations and heritage that become more important to pass on than the Grace and Love that saved me
Sometimes they are a preoccupation with a dream, a hobby, a goal or an identity.  Maintaining these things becomes an altar, because it becomes so important and attains a priority of something higher than God's perfect law to love, to forgive, to pray for, to worship.We still do those things, but they are fit in around the others, not the other way around.

What about you?  Are their altars in your life?


With you for His glory,