To me it almost seems like we sometimes use God as a sort of vending machine. We pray to Him and ask for the things we want, just as we put our money into a vending machine and press the number corresponding to our stomach's desires. When we finally get that treat we rejoice and are thankful. But what about when the machine jams or gives us something we didn't want? (I've often seen/heard people body checking vending machines because they didn't get what they wanted)
Anyway, this is all a segue to a much broader and much more convicting topic. I've recently been thinking about ends vs. means. An end is what the ultimate goal of a situation is and the means are the methods to which you get there. For example, school is often a mean to a career, which is in turn a mean to getting money, which is in turn a mean to support a family, etc. It seems like American culture strongly emphasizes this pattern. When you achieve an end, it becomes just the mean to a greater end. (so what is the 'ultimate' end?)
On to spiritual things, Is your faith based on the results or are your results based in your faith?Do you believe what you believe because it brings about what you desire, like friends, catharsis, travel, music, etc? Moreover, is God a means or an end? Is He your God because you get a good community? Is He your God so that you can become more righteous? Is He your God so that you can get (fill in the blank)?
In other words, God becomes a function in our life that fulfills the role we want it to. Just like a part in a machine. The problem with this God is when He doesn't work the way we want Him to what do we do? Sometimes we'll try to find a better part to put into our machine. Maybe we'll fill it with relationships, drinking, sex, etc. Other times we'll try to 'fix' the parts to make them work better. We'll put some duct tape or wd-40 to try to make the system work. Sometimes we'll do the same with God, we'll change Him in our mind. Covering up what we don't like and focusing on what works.
We've all, at some point, made God a part in our life in some way, shape or form. For me I got to know God at a ministry called Teens Encounter Christ (tec). For months, maybe even years, I attended this weekend because I wanted to have a place where I could feel accepted. A place where I could tell all the deep parts of my life, not be judged, and experience catharsis time and time again. Notice that throughout the last few sentences the word 'I' appears a lot. My faith was very much selfish. It was all about me, how many of you can relate? God was a mean to achieve the ends that I wanted.
Eventually I started to see the big picture and I was humbled. To see God's plan and its meticulous precision and awesomeness and I saw that it was not all about me. That it was intended for all, that His message needed to be heard and spread. How selfish would it be for me to hear the good news of the gospel and keep it to myself? I was introduced to a great bible verse John 3:30, "He must become greater, I must become less."
Here's the challenge. Is your faith a selfish faith. Is its purpose to serve as your means to your ends or is God the end? Actually, forget that. Instead ask yourself, 'what ends is God serving as a mean.' We all got them, we just have to realize it. Then I challenge you to make those ends means to God. Make them forms of worship and be humbled.
Live for Him,
Travis Ray
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