Linus waited anxiously out in the cold for the Great Pumpkin to bring him presents.

Every year I enjoy watching the Charlie Brown specials on TV. And every year Linus believes if he and his pumpkin patch are sincere enough the Great Pumpkin will come and bring presents to everyone. This connects to something I have been burdened by lately.

We often wait anxiously for our "Great Pumpkin" we call God to come and bring us stuff. We believe if our prayers are sincere enough or our life is good enough then He'll give us what we are looking for. We have fallen in love with the gifts instead of the giver. In other words we most often seek what God can give instead of seeking God himself.

When anything takes the priority of our passion other than God it's idolatry. From the O.T. to the N.T. God speaks very severely about the destruction, and consequences of idolatry. Idolatry is the impurity of our hearts as we run after the gifts and not the giver. This impurity damages our relationship with God. In western culture we take our gaze off of God to admire other "priorities". This runs deeper than money and possessions. We replace faith with science, dependence upon God with self-empowerment, or worship with entertainment.

I might not love my clothes, my car, or the food I eat more than God. However, I've seen an even sneakier idolatry in my heart.

Each year is filled with decisions to make, plans to pick, and choices that need action. I sincerely find myself in prayer asking for God to give me an answer. When he doesn't answer right away I'm lost. I worry about each decision and I wish God would just tell me what to do. Herein have I seen the idolatry of my heart in that I have more desire for God's answer then God himself.

When you want God to tell you what job to take, what college to go to, who to marry, you've become passionate about the gifts not the giver. It's easy to be so focused on getting an answer from God that you aren't content to just get God. The ultimate gift is God himself. "What about the decisions I have to make?", you ask. "I can't just sit around all day and stare at my bible. " I'm focusing in on the condition of your heart, for as Proverbs says, "A man's heart reflects the man." What's in your heart will flow into the way you live. What is more important to you, knowing God's will or knowing God? (Prov. 27:19)

Matthew 6:33-34 gives us valuable insight on this. Jesus has just finished telling his followers not to worry about the details and decisions of everyday life because God will be faithful to supply. Then he directs their attention to what they should be most concerned about, knowing God. Jesus says, "Seek first the Kingdom of God and his righteousness and all these things will be added to you." The Kingdom of God is nothing without God, in essence the Kingdom of God is God himself. The Kingdom is the manifest presence of God working, moving, and living. Jesus is bringing us back to the basics. Our first priority and passion must be to seek God, everything else will be taken care of under God's sovereign and faithful hand.

What do you seek most in life right now? What is it that you are worried about losing? What are you worried about not getting? What is it you think about most often?

Set aside all that God can give you, or do for you, and may God himself be your pursuit, your passion, and the most time consuming goal of your life!

- Josh