In a popular Muppet TV skit, “Pigs in Space,” Miss Piggy and friends are given the rare and beautiful opportunity to discover the meaning and purpose of life. All they have to do is wait one minute and all of the universe’s secrets will be revealed.
Unfortunately, 20 seconds into their wait the dinner gong rings. Swill Stroganoff, yum! The Space Pigs quickly balance the two choices in their minds, Swill Stroganoff or the meaning and purpose of life. Swill wins. Crazy, right?
There is a similar (without the pigs and the space part, of course) account in the Gospels. A rich young ruler comes to Jesus wanting to know how he can gain eternal life. Jesus, wanting to give this young man an opportunity to know what was truly in his heart, tells the ruler to sell all he owns, give it to the poor and follow Him.
I don’t know how long it took this gentleman to weigh his two options, money versus eternal life, but he did and money won. It seems crazy until we realize that we do this all the time, too.
This is battle that John is warning us about in I John 2:15-16:
Don’t love the world’s ways.
Don’t love the world’s goods.
Love of the world squeezes out love for the Father.
Practically everything that goes on in the world—
wanting your own way,
wanting everything for yourself,
wanting to appear important
—has nothing to do with the Father. It just isolates you from him.
Doing what my husband said to do versus having my own way is really a choice between obeying and abiding in God or following my selfish desires.
When tempted to buy a new purse at the store that I really don’t even want or need, the real question is, am I going to be a good steward of God’s money or will ‘retail therapy’ win?
Performing a good deed is a godly thing to do unless I turn it into an opportunity to mention it to others, secretly hoping they will be impressed with me.
Each of these decisions, and more, reflects the world’s way of thinking which has nothing to do with my Father, God. That kind of thinking only isolates me from Him.
Every choice matters. Each moment provides an opportunity to trust and abide in God by doing things His way. The battle is bigger than I think. Will I choose God or settle for Swill Stroganoff?
How about you? How can you prioritize your love for God above all else this week?
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Tags: *Kim Avery, Christian women, decisions, love, priorities
