We Worship this World

Who are we? Think to yourself for just a few minutes. Who are you? What do you think of when you start to think of things about yourself? What axis does your life spin? What are the things you love? If I were to describe myself this time one year ago it would sound something like this. I am someone who loves to hang out. I am always up for a good time. I'm an honest guy just trying to make an honest living.
Sounds good right?? And all that is completely accurate. But those of you who knew me and spent much time with me you would know much more such as.....
I loved to party. I loved to go out with the guys and do what ever it is that guys do. I loved to drink. I would drink unbelievable amounts of alcohol almost every weekend. I loved music and I loved my band. I worked hard so that I could buy things I didn't need and things that I knew I couldn't afford. Almost 7 years ago I walked away from a church with a not so good taste in my mouth. I left the church confused about more things than I really even know how to describe. When I walked away I said to myself that I will never go back. I hid a lot of inside emotion. So as the years went on I stayed away from church. Not only was I staying away from God I was running from Him. To be quite honest I just simply didn't care anymore. Church had ended up looking like a train wreck in my view. It was a pointless place that people go to make themselves look better in the public eye. This past August God revealed something to me that has changed my life.
So now that you have all the things on your mind that remind you of who you really are think of this. What are a few things of this world that are near and dear to you or things you just like most? Say that your life was kinda like a movie you could go back and watch the past few years or so. What things would stand out? What would it be that seemed like your life revolved around? For me it would be money, music, alcohol, and the party. Maybe yours is similar or maybe it's not. But take those things and think of them as acts of worship. Out of those things what would it reflect? God or this world? My lifestyle would simply reflect this world. Not God! or does it? Some of you may say, well I may do all those things but I pray sometimes. Or, I read my bible sometimes. Or I go to church sometimes. See the key word is sometimes. It is only sometimes we do those things.
Now for those of you who are still reading and want to know more please do so. See at this point I probably already offended several people and they may or may not be continuing to read, but if you do continue to read please be reminded that I only chose to share this out of love. I am not trying to condemn anyone or point out anyone's flaws.
One day as I was on my way to work out of nowhere God spoke to me simply straight that I was breaking the first commandment. I struggled with that for several weeks. To be quite honest I wasn't even sure what the first commandment was. So after a few weeks of pondering I took the time to look it up. I hadn't opened my Bible in years. In the Book of Exodus 20:3 the first commandment is described as this, Do not worship any other gods besides me. So that stayed on my mind for a few more days, not sure what it meant. I thought to myself, I don't worship any other gods. So I did a little study and I found in Matthew 22: 37,38 Jesus himself says, " You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment." So now I am seeing that those two go hand in hand but I still didn't get it. I didn't understand why I God was telling me that I was breaking the first commandment. Then a couple days later God spoke to me again and told me anyone who denies me here on earth, I will deny that person before my Father in heaven. Now I wasn't 100% sure if that was a real verse or if that was something that I had just always heard. So I did some research and found almost those exact words in the book of Matthew 10:32
"If anyone acknowledges me publicly here on earth, I will openly acknowledge that person before my Father in heaven. But if anyone denies me here on earth, I will deny that person before my Father in heaven."
Now I began putting all that together and I got what God was telling me. Our worship is our lifestyle played out by our actions. I was addicted to alcohol, music, money, and everything that comes with the party lifestyle. Alcohol was my god. That is what I turned to to find what I thought was joy. Alcohol was what I turned to so that I could cope with my problems. Money was another god. I thought that the more money I had, the more freedom I would have. But that proved to be false because I had only became a slave to the money god. Music was my biggest god. I connected all my memories and emotion to one song or another. Every secular song reminds me of a specific party or drunken time in my life. So this is what I have concluded. You can know there is a god in your mind. You can even say yes I believe in God. Even the demons acknowledge who God really is. That doesn't mean they worship him and are going to go to heaven. All of my life I have been misled into thinking that you can worship God but live a lifestyle however you want. The lack of Godly worship is the lack of belief. I had lots of things that I held higher than God but I think the picture is clear. The Bible states multiple times that you can't love God and love the world at the same time. You worship God with all you mind, body and soul , or you worship the world by submitting to its guidelines with all your mind, body and soul. If God is only a part of your life sometimes then most likely he really isn't even in your life at all. When I took a step back and looked at my life it was really easy to see that Christ really wasn't even there. So I challenge everyone to do the same. Christ wants to have a relationship with us. We reveal our relationship through our worship. Worship is our lifestyle. So the question stands...... Who do you worship?