Every problem and difficulty, personal sin and family conflict, war and division among peoples and nations can be traced to one source: our persistent unwillingness to acknowledge God and put Him in His rightful place in our lives. From this confused and displaced allegiance flows everything that is wrong with us, everything that plagues us.
God reminds us of this through Paul in Romans, Chapter 1:
For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing to be wise, they became fools … For they exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen. (Romans 1:21-25)
Our worship of ourselves instead of God is not only an affront to Him but the worst kind of tragedy for us. For now, we are out of kelter. We are like a piston designed to be in a particular position in an engine. The engine will not work if misplaced, and the piston is useless. It has lost its designed purpose.
If we long to know the beauty of harmony with God, ourselves, and this world and the next, we must repent of our pride and place God where He belongs in our minds and affections. We must remember His words spoken through Isaiah.
“You are My witnesses,” declares the Lord, and My servant whom I have chosen, so that you may know and believe Me and understand that I am He. Before Me there was no God formed, and there will be none after Me. I, even I, am the Lord, and there is no savior besides Me.” (Isaiah 43:10-11)
“There is no savior besides Me” calls for a personal response. One man cannot make this turn for another. Each must decide for himself who God is and where He belongs in the order of things.
Our belief does not change God; it simply aligns us properly so we can live at optimum joy and effectiveness. It delights God when those He has created understand this (orchestrated by His grace), and turn in humble dependence on Him, for He knows that now they will find the best part that will not be taken away from them. Now they will be fulfilled, and, in their fulfillment, He will be seen and glorified for the exclusive One that He is.
