Let me set the stage by saying that my 5-year-old nephew, Eric, loves blue tortilla chips. By loves I really mean loves. They’re his favorite.
Like, for his fifth birthday we went to our favorite mexican restaurant and they brought him out an entire bowl of exclusively blue corn chips. None of the normal white ones. You would have thought they set a bowl of treasure in front of him. He was ecstatic.
So last night when we returned to the same Mexican restaurant it was no surprise that he hoarded the sparse blue chips as quickly as he could and savored every bite.
Our food was delivered, we asked for more chips and then Eric proceeded to pray for our meal. As he was praying, and being so sweet and thankful for the day and asking God to help us have a great day tomorrow, the waitress came and set down another basket of chips.
Eric, who was praying with his eyes open, was mid-sentence when the basket was placed right in front of him.
“God, help tomorrow to be–OH, BLUE CHIPS!!”
And, with huge eyes and supreme elation, he starts grabbing all the blue chips out of the basket.
He really loves blue chips.
Prayer forgotten, he is transfixed on something new.
Sound familiar?
It’s what millions of Christians do, myself included.
This week I was reminded of how worship is war. How it is a constant battle to fix my gaze on God, because if I don’t my A.D.D. heart will turn its affections on a thousand lesser things. And be excited about it.
Blue corn chips.
Acceptance.
A relationship.
More money.
Social media.
Comfort.
Control.
Another person.
Success.
Fitness.
Appearance.
Television.
Sports.
Reading.
There’s not much difference between any of them if they captivate your affections.
I wanted to have a really cool contrast between corn chips and huge attention grabbers in our lives, but then I realized it’s the tiniest idols that take up the biggest room in our hearts.
Prone to wander, Lord I feel it.
This is why Psalm 103 is one of my favorites. David is commanding his soul to bless the Lord, even though the warm fuzzy feelings may not be there. It’s the times when we don’t “feel” it that we need to push through all the more.
People don’t realize that isn’t being hypocritical, but rather being biblical… You have to preach truth to yourself and worshipping is doing just that. As Martyn Lloyd Jones once said, the majority of our problems come because we’re listening to ourself rather than talking to ourself.
Don’t settle for the cheap, imitation happiness the world promises but never truly fulfills. Jesus is the only One who can give you access to the throne room of joy and truly lift your heart to His, but it comes through believing and obeying Him. Fight to believe, fight to worship, fight to fix your affections wholly on the One who made them and can satisfy them completely.
“When the heart is not deeply entranced by the glory of God, it is usually driven along by the pitiful powers of money and the praise of man.” -John Piper
“When obedience to God contradicts what I think will give me pleasure, let me ask myself if I love Him.” -Elisabeth Elliot
Sophie Miller 