December 4, 2010

"For although there may be so-called gods in heaven or on earth . . . yet for us there is one God, the Father from whom are all things and for whom we exist, and one Lord, Jesus Christ." I Corinthians 8:5-6a

Knowing who one's god is has a huge impact on how that person lives, on what he focuses his attention. A young friend brought his new, bright red Corvette to show me. He said he wanted to take good care of it, so he parked it a long way away from crowds. If he couldn't, he'd shop at another mall or eat at another restaurant. Protecting his prize against dings!

Later when I saw him at a restaurant, I commented that I had not seen his car outside. He explained that he had sold the car. "It was all I thought about;" he said. "It had become my god."

Paul reminds us that there are indeed other gods, and we must carefully choose the one whom we will serve. Unexpected things grab our attention and easily become too important. We must serve only One God. God came as a baby, but in that tiny infant dwelt the Triune God, the same one who warned that we should "have no other god" before him! He doesn't look very "godlike" in our little creches, but we know he is indeed the great I AM.

Father, forgive us that we often focus our love and commitment on someone or something other than you! Help us to recognize you, even as a baby. Amen.