Whatever you rely on that you think can’t or won’t fail you is your god. Whatever you depend on to maintain your peace of mind is your god. Whatever you trust will always be there for you is your god.
- How do you know when you are relying exclusively on the true and living God? When nothing can shake you because you are employing the power of the Holy Spirit to allow nothing to disturb you, frighten you, or rob you of your peace of mind.
- How do you know when you are relying upon something other than the true and living God? When you are irritated, impatient, insistent, controlling, anxious, self-assertive, frustrated, fearful, hopeless, despairing.
- How do you know when your faith is robust and growing? When you constantly welcome disappointment, difficulty, or adversity as a light by which to see in yourself any misplaced confidence or dependence. You use trouble as a chance to double down on your reliance on the true and living God.
So here’s an exercise in self-confrontation:
- When trouble comes, are you suddenly anxious? Confront yourself — “Aha! I caught you! So what is it you were trusting in that has now failed you?”
- When you’re irritated, confront yourself — “Oh ya, there you go again! So what is it you were hoping would go your way instead of leaving it to God?”
- When something falls through. Are you disappointed? Confront yourself — “Gotcha! What is it that you were relying on to come through for you instead of the Lord?”
Then, of course, turn back to the Lord and keep your eyes on him.
