Am I as Faithful to God as I am to my Husband?

Written by Threshold Church on February 11, 2015. Posted in Blog, Teaching

The following is a teaching article by Anna Kail:

I was recently struck by how often my pursuit of the Lord is interrupted by the idols that I can allow in my life. It’s never on purpose. I never plan to put something on the altar of my life beside Him, but it happens. It is not that I am casting my faith completely aside in favor of idols, but more of a realization that I have shifted my focus from my pursuit of Him to a pursuit of other things.

You don’t have to spend much time reading the Bible to learn how God feels about idols and their place in the lives of His children. Look at these verses from both the Old and New Testament:

“Do not turn to idols or make gods of cast metal for yourselves. I am the Lord your God.” –Lev 19:4

 “Therefore, my dear friends, flee from idolatry.” -1 Cor 10:14

“Dear children, keep yourselves from idols.” -1 John 5:21

An idol is not just a statue, it is an object of worship; and it can be anything that we give ourselves to, that we seek after, or that we build our lives around. Often, the idols in our lives are not bad things in and of themselves; they are just things that are not in their right place.

I have found that for me, my time, my children, my husband, my identity, my appearance, and my own self can very easily become idols. These good things become the focus of my attention; they consume my mind. They become the source of my value, my peace or my joy. They take the place of Jesus, the Lord of my life.

As I was thinking about how I can be drawn towards unfaithfulness in my walk with the Lord, I began to examine my marriage, another relationship where faithfulness is foundational. What I was struck by was that here, in my marriage, I do not feel that I struggle to remain faithful, especially on a daily basis. Sure, it is work. Yes, I make choices to guard my marriage and I work hard to do my part in maintaining health between Jake and me, but I wouldn’t say that it is hard to be faithful to my husband.

So why is it hard to be faithful to my God?

Why do I discover my unfaithfulness, not even knowing exactly how I ended up there?

Why can I so carefully guard my affections in my marriage yet am so quick to be drawn away from my Jesus?

What do I do in my marriage that I do not do in my relationship with the Lord?

So I asked the Lord to show me what it looks like to pursue faithfulness in my relationship with Him. He is so very faithful to me and as His bride, I long for nothing more than to be found faithful to Him, every day, every week, and every month until the end.

My Time

In my marriage, I make time for Jake and our time together is not just about me, it is about us. We focus on each other and we both share our hearts. Long have I known the importance of a “quiet time” with the Lord, but do I truly see the value in this time and that it is the key for my relationship with Him? Are my quiet times our time together, me and my Father? Do we both get to talk? Do I give a place for Him to share His heart with me?

When I contrast my quality time with Jake and my quality time with the Lord, I find that there are some changes that need to be made. My times need to be less about me and more about us and Him.

My Heart

My heart belongs to my husband. It is no longer mine to give. Because that is true, there is no need for me to give time, emotion, or thought to other men.  In the same way that I am careful and intentional in my interactions with other men, so too should I be aware and on guard in those areas of my life that have drawn me away from my Lord.

Am I allowing my mind to dwell on things that I know will lead me places that I don’t want to go? Am I allowing my eyes to look and then linger in ways that betray my commitment? Am I spending my time in ways that will compromise my purity and draw me into unfaithfulness?

My Life

I have vowed my life to Jake “until death do us part.” This means that we are committed to each other through everything and that no matter what we go through, we do it together. There is no escape plan, because we are committed until the end.

In the same way, when I gave my life to Jesus, it was for my whole life. There was no escape plan here either. He was my Lord and would be forever. This truth should mark my reality. In all things, I should draw near to Him and allow my mindsets, behaviors, and actions to reflect a life fully committed.

I love this encouragement in Proverbs 3:3-4:

“Let love and faithfulness never leave you;

bind them around your neck,

write them on the tablet of your heart.

Then you will win favor and a good name

in the sight of God and man.”

Do you, like me, long to be found faithful?

Are there idols in your life that need to be cast down, so that your God can take His rightful place?

Would you join me in submitting your life to the Holy Spirit; cooperating with Him, as He brings conviction, revelation, and direction in our pursuit of purity?

Established is a ministry of Threshold Church developed for the purpose of bringing women into relationship with God and community with one another.  We are dedicated to seeing all women rooted in the love of Jesus Christ and living in the freedom and purpose that He provides. 

Please join us for our next event on Monday, March 23rd.  

For more information about Established check out our Facebook Page at www.facebook.com/EstablishedWomen or visit the Threshold Church information table.

Trackback from your site.

• Next
• Prev