Devotions: Misguided Devotion

 

When it was day, the Jews formed a conspiracy and put themselves under an oath, saying that they would neither eat nor drink until they had killed Paul.

Acts 23:12 New American Standard Bible (NASB)

 

My kids and I read this chapter the other night during our family devotions, and the next day while washing the dishes I was struck with an interesting idea. Not only was the oath these men took foolish (basically promising to starve themselves until they got what they wanted, similar to a toddler trying to bargain out of obedience,) but it was sorely misguided. These men were not serial killers or godless men. They were actually fanatical about God, as Paul had been, but the direction of their zeal had been misled. They focused so much on the Law, and how they interpreted the Law, that they missed the purpose of the Law and what it said about Jesus. They were so focused on what they wanted, on their own agenda, that they missed God. Like Paul, this led them to actually do things against God.

This can happen to us too. We can become so focused on what we think should happen, on what we think God wants, that we become misguided. We place too much focus on our “godly agenda” and too little on God Himself. Even those who devoutly, zealously love God can be misled if they spend more time thinking about and focusing on something other than God Himself. Our ideals and desires might be godly, but they can lead us out of God’s will if we are not actually seeking Him. What we focus on the most will have the greatest impact and influence on us. We can see this in our politics and society. There are people on both sides who claim to be fighting for what is godly, but have become so caught up in the cause that they have lost sight of God. Focusing so much on what they are fighting for has taken their focus away from God so that they are actually being misled and even deceived. No matter what our cause or ideals are, if they become more important to us than God, if we spend more time thinking about and focusing on them than Him, then they are an idol and we will be misled and deceived. It is so vitally important that we maintain our relationship with God above EVERYTHING ELSE. In the same way that cashiers and bank tellers are trained to spot counterfeit money by studying the real thing, we need to spend more time with God than anything else so that we will know when we are being led astray and deceived.

What are you passionate about? What is important to you? Are you focusing on it more than God? Ask God to forgive you and help you to return to Him. Ask Him to reveal the areas where you are being deceived and misguided. Ask Him to help you maintain your relationship with Him above all else.

 

 

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