“The entertainment industry helped me to escape my day-to-day boring existence.” “By collecting these items over the years, it gave my life a sense of purpose.” “My children are and always will be the center of my life.” “I just don’t know how people existed before cell phones, it offers me the whole world in the palm of my hand.”
Who says things like this, the average person on the street, or the born-again believer?
For far too many, Jesus is not enough, the Word of God is not enough, seeking the face of the Almighty, living for the glory of God is not enough, and it is one of the reasons that He takes away those things that we place before Him. If Romans 8:28 is true, and it is, that “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.” and the Lord decides to remove that thing from your life, do you run out and replace it, or do you thank Him, and then seek His face more?
It has been proven in many research studies that cell phones are almost as addictive as heroin, remove it for only a short time and people become agitated, cranky, unsure of what to do next. A doting mother will not leave her children to live their lives, even after they begin a life of their own. For most people, Jesus Christ is not enough. “If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple.” (Luke 14:26)
If He is not everything, He is nothing.
When we got up from our knees at the cross, when we began to follow the Lord Jesus Christ, nothing is to hinder our following Him, when the Holy Spirit begins the transformation of our mind, we are not to look back with desire, we are not to step off the path. Satan uses every possible diversion that is available to him, but he has not changed one bit, only the items at his disposal have. The plan was to offer Eve more than what the Lord had already given, so one must consider, was the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil placed there as the only thing forbidden on purpose?
I speak as a fool here, but it is worthy of contemplation, for the Almighty knew what was going to happen before He created the heavens and the earth. The fruit could have been any item, it would not matter, as long as it was known to be held back from us by the Lord, we want it.
There is nothing wrong with owning a cell phone, if its main purpose is to glorify God, but I will not speak for you here. If you believe that is why you have it, then you must prove to the Lord that belief. “If I did not have one …” is the question you must answer, and then listen to what the Holy Spirit says in your heart, He will tell you if you are speaking the truth or lying to yourself.
Now, this poorly written letter could have just as easily used watching television or collecting some items, it could have employed any number of things that make one feel better about themselves, that give their lives some sort of meaning, and I could have asked you to answer the same question about any of them, “How does it glorify God?”
Does it have to?
“And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.” (Col. 3:17)
Yes, it does.
Now, ask yourself this question, do you think that in heaven you will ever do anything that does not glorify the Lord, in those pleasures forevermore, in the moments when we will be in the fullness of the joy of His presence, will you not glorify God above the heavens? The more luggage you try to drag along the path, the slower your forward progress will be. Now, look at your life, and prove to yourself that Jesus Christ comes first.
