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Loving The Creator God – Our Life’s Focus

July 13, 2023

By Gerry Schroeder 

(Originally published in Russian for Slavic Worship’s Russian-speaking audience) 

Take a moment and picture with me…

  • The expanse and power of an ocean as its waves pound against the shore.
  • Mountains majestically rising up in the distance as they disappear into the clouds.
  • An evening sky that is slowly revealing the stars of an infinite universe.
  • The intricate beauty of flowers moving in a gentle breeze. 

When we pause to reflect on things like these, we are reminded that nature itself points us to the Great Creator God. What God has made helps us to see and understand his eternal power and divine nature. He is to be forever praised.

And yet, there are those who would suppress this truth of God. They worship creation — or even things that they have created themselves — rather than the Creator. (Rom 1:20-25)

‘You shall not make for yourself an idol… You shall not bow down to them or worship them’ — Ex 20:4-5

For those of us who are musicians, we have a resource that can be used effectively in serving God: our musical instruments. By developing our skills on the piano, guitar, drums, and other instruments, we can be good stewards of the resource that God has given us. We can choose to use this resource to express our hearts and worship to God, which is what we often do.

But there is a subtle deception that can creep into our hearts if we are not careful. We can begin saying — or thinking — things like: ‘Look at this new instrument I just got! Listen to how cool it sounds!’ Or, ‘Wow! I played that just like the recording!’ Or, we might even begin to believe it when people tell us: ‘The worship team was awesome today!’ The unchangeable fact is that God is awesome. Our worship teams, instruments, and even music itself are only resources. We can use these resources to help people understand and experience God’s truth and love. However, whenever a resource intended to bring focus to God begins to take focus from God, it has become an idol.

This subtle deception is not limited to only worship teams. It can find its way into any ministry. If we begin to focus on the process of ministry, we can easily lose sight of the purpose of that ministry.

Love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, soul, and mind. Mt 22:37

Guarding against this subtle deception is really very straightforward. Rather than focusing on NOT allowing an idol in your life, Jesus clearly points to where our focus needs to be:

Love God with all of your heart, soul, and mind. Whatever we do, whether in our conversations or actions, we are to do those things in the name of the Lord. (Col 3:17)

  • When we play, are we expressing our hearts to God?
  • When we sing, is our goal to bring focus to God and His glory?
  • When we serve, is our service an expression of our love for God?

When we are loving God in this way, false motives are pushed aside. When we are loving God in this way, potential seeds of idolatry will not take root. When we are loving God in this way, we use our resources — and our daily lives — to help people see and understand God’s eternal power and divine nature. He is our Creator God, who is to be praised forever.

 

Discussion questions:

Social Media Challenge – On your social media, pick one question, copy the link to this blog, and share the blog and the answer to your one question to your own personal social media. Let’s make Gospel Impact together. Let’s grow closer to the Lord together. 

You can also answer the questions in the comment section of this blog post. 

  • Look at your calendar/schedule. How much time are you spending with God?
  • Do you serve God reluctantly or out of compulsion? Or, do you serve God out of your love for him? (2 Cor 9:7)
  • Is there a ‘seed of deception’ taking root in your heart? In your mind?
  • What are some specific action steps that you can take to help you focus on loving the creator God more in this area?

 

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