Not Far From Athens

Reading: Acts 17

"that they would seek God, if perhaps they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us; for in Him we live and move and exist..." Acts 17:27-28

Examination:

The city of Athens was a religious melting pot. As he walked the streets he recognized that the people of Athens all expressed a knowledge that some form of God existed. They created many idols in hopes of finding Him.

Application:

It is easy to sit where I am and remove myself from this scene in Acts. The thought of worshiping an idol is foreign to me. It is crazy to think I would ever spend myself seeking any form of support from an inanimate object. It just makes no sense, but then again; perhaps I am not as far from Athens as I would like to believe.

Career. Finances. Family. Relationships. Companionship. Goals. Hobbies. All these things have the potential to be either avenues of blessing from God or they can become the thing I seek in place of God. I would never bow to a statue but I will lose my composure the moment something threatens any of these areas in my life. What does that reveal about my faith?

Prayer:

Father I live life feeling rushed to overachieve. I press myself to go above and beyond what I feel is reasonable. I drive hard and earnestly seek tangible results. I feel like I can do anything if I just work at it hard enough and long enough.

While there is truth in this, it is also true that I am often guilty of turning my work ethic into a idol. I serve it and seek it as my source of deliverance. Dependence is a word that just does not taste good to me. I hate being dependent on anyone for anything; especially when they do not move according to my need for speed.

What do I do with this? I am powerless to do anything other than express to You my knowledge of it as being sin. Work ethic is only an asset when it is pointed towards You. You establish my boundaries and there is no amount of effort that can expand them beyond what You desire.

The only unlimited thing You offer for me is my experience of You. I desire to live on in You. I desire to move only with You. I desire to exist only for You. I grope for You today knowing that You are not that far away. Give me eyes that see, ears that hear, and a heart that responds. Regain Your place in my life as being the sole focus of my faith.