Today’s Reading, Ezekiel 23-24
Focal Scripture: Ezekiel 24:21 “Say to the house of Israel, ‘This is what the Lord God says: I am about to desecrate my sanctuary, the pride of your power, the delight of your eyes, and the desire of your heart. Also, the sons and daughters you left behind will fall by the sword.”
Being proud about things you have in life is very understandable. If your child does something well you want to tell others. If you accomplish something great you want others to be aware of it also. Pride can become a big problem if we’re not careful. Many times we can have so much pride in something that it becomes our focus. It becomes what we love more than anything.
That is where we find ourselves today. The nation of Israel was prideful. God is about to have the temple desecrated. They loved the building more than the God who dwelt in the building. The pride was in the city and not the God of the universe. They were so close to the authentic person to be worshipped. However, their pride in the religion and the building took priority.
The lessons here are many. Today many believers act the same way. They act like their local church building belongs to them. They become obsessed with the building and even the power the building can bring. Many churches have members who want to control everything. I am not saying they shouldn’t have input. What I am talking about are the people who worship the building and the area more than the God who dwells amongst them.
The challenge for believers today is to understand that the building and the influence is temporary. If we could focus on God and not the actual church building everything would change. Having pride in your church is good until it becomes something you think you can control.
To change this mindset be a people that focused more on God than a building. More on God and his will than being the boss. This same truth also applies to pastors. Far too often pastors try to control everything and miss that they are under God’s direction. Pride takes over.
Change the narrative and take pride in God. Worship him. Follow him. Be an example for everyone on a godly lifestyle and mindset.
Tomorrow I plan on reading Ezekiel 25-27
