Matthew 26:14-16 Then one of the twelve, whose name was Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests and said, “What will you give me if I deliver him over to you?” And they paid him thirty pieces of silver. And from that moment he sought an opportunity to betray him.
Judas followed Jesus, most likely even loved him. He just loved his own agenda more. He thought as the Messiah, Jesus would come and overthrow the Romans and reestablish their nation. When Jesus preached a kingdom that wasn’t of this world, he no longer served Judas’ purposes.
Judas let his zeal for something he held higher than Jesus consume him. We call that idolatry.
When I look back, probably one of the first idols I recognize in my life surrounded the desire for a Christian husband. My parents divorced when I was in 6th grade. That’s probably why I craved a stable Father Knows Best type of family. As a young girl I prayed God would send me a Christian husband when I grew up. But in those days I preferred my wisdom and desires to God’s, so I would date someone and pray “God please save him.” Wrong!!! It wasn’t until I finished graduate school that I truly put God first in my life.
Not long after that, I met my future husband. I told Chip that unless Jesus was first in his life, we could never be together. He agreed, and consequently, putting the Lord above all else has been the sustaining factor throughout over 50 years of marriage.
Of course, the desire for a Christian family is not a bad thing. (Judas’ desire to get out from under Roman oppression wasn’t bad either). But as Tim Keller writes in Counterfeit Gods, most idols are good things gone bad. God wanted to bless me with a Christian husband, but he wanted me to want him more. Otherwise, my Christian husband would have become an idol, and it would have destroyed us both.
I believe God wants to bless you with a prosperous business, healthy relationships, a strong family, success in your work……many things. But he wants you to want him more. So I pray you don’t let any of the good things in your life steal your affection and become an idol. Watch out for those misplaced desires.