"So, my very dear friends, when you see people reducing God to something they can use or control, get out of their company as fast as you can" (1Corinthians 10:14, The Message).
Using God for selfish ends is a common thing in the modern church. Our worship of God has been reduced to nothing more than doing the needful to get His blessings. For many, God has become a mere tool that we use to achieve our life goals and realise our personal ambitions. The idea of serving and worshipping God simply for who He is has become unfashionable.
To be sure, the name of the Lord is on every lip and Jesus is being proclaimed in every corner. But don't let that fool you to think that the person of Jesus lives in their hearts. The name of Jesus is on the lips of men because men have since discovered that the name works wonders. The name is seen only as a key to open the door of the next miracle.
But the disciples who first used the name of Jesus evidently loved the Lord. They did not use the name of the Lord to enrich themselves or for any other selfish reason. They identified with the name of the Lord as a strong indication of their identification with the person of the Lord. That was the reason why they endured so much persecutions and afflictions as they took the name of Jesus with them everywhere they went.
Today, the Lord is admonishing us not to be part of those who merely use God for their own selfish ends. Rather, let God use you for His own perfect purpose. Christianity is a call to serve God, not to serve self. When the day is done, and the story of the day is told, let it be said of you that "Here was the man who was used of God for the supreme benefits of His kingdom and of humanity".
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