"You are what you... worship?
The old saying, “you are what you eat” warns us against eating unhealthy food and encourages us to eat nutritiously, since what we eat affects how we are physically. Could it be that what or whom we believe in affects who we are and what will become of us?
In Psalm 115:4-7 we find a scathing attack on the impotence of idols: “Their idols are silver and gold, the work of human hands. They have mouths, but do not speak; eyes, but do not see. They have ears, but do not hear; noses, but do not smell. They have hands, but do not feel; feet, but do not walk; and they do not make a sound in their throat.” But the writer does not stop at decimating and ridiculing the utter absurdity of the idols themselves, he continues in vs. 8: “Those who make them become like them; so do all who trust in them.” Indeed, it can be said, “you are what you worship.” As these pagans learned, their lives were just as meaningless as a lifeless statue, and their end came upon them just as their idols corrupted and vanished with time.
The majority of our modern scientific, academic, and religious culture would probably share with the Psalmist in ridiculing idolatry, as it existed back in that day. Yet, what they propose is just as vain. With Materialism and Secular Humanism ruling the day, many deny any gods at all, or at the least, that any gods are doing anything at all in our world today. They effectively remove any truly objective moral standard. They eliminate the afterlife. And they lift up humans as the answer to everything. It goes without saying; they quite literally are whom they worship. It has rightly been said, “The man who is his own god, worships a fool.”
After Psalm 115 deals with idolatry, it emphatically calls for us to trust in the Lord (Ps 115:9-11). If what or whom we believe in drastically shapes who we become and how we will end, how wondrous it is to place our faith in the living and eternal God! The great challenge for believers has always been to shun the influences of those who worship gods fashioned according to their own liking, in order to worship the true God. If we will do that, we will become more and more like the great God above. At the end of Ps 115 there is a contrast between those who are dead and can do nothing more, and those who trust God, of the latter it says, “But we will bless the Lord from this time forth and forevermore!” (Ps 115:18).
May we not be lured by the popularity or flashiness of the “gods” around us or by our society and fleshliness that calls us to be self-centered, for we will become just as wicked as they and will likewise end in destruction. Let us rather trust in the living and eternal Lord, for rather than being made by man, He made us. Let us continue to allow Him to shape us according to His image and that of His dear son (Rom 8:29).
Grace & Peace,
Dominic
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I just agreed to read Dunn's book for my first one in the independent study on historical jesus methodology i'm doing in the fall. i'm exctited! -
Yes, exctited!
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i guess mom didn't get a e mail from you yet? -
amen. -
I saw your brother-in-law at camp today.
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interesting concepts! thanks so much for sharing. -
I agree on the size of a congregation not being what matters. Some large congregations seem to care little about evangelism while some tiny ones are on fire. -
Oh, and I think I understand what you were saying inyour second comment. It is sad that when you ask people what they know about the Jehovah's witnesses they say, "Oh yeah, aren't those the people that come to my door all the time?" We can learn many lessons from the desire to evangelize, and the love and compassion of denominations.
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nice thoughts bro... -
sounds good! You know, sometime in the future we'll have to play some volleyball like we talked about before school ended ;)
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Plus, if you can get Jen to play, then maybe Alice will play too.
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haha. Yes I would.
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Good thoughts Dominic. That is a neat way to present that with the concept of "you are what you worship". As humans we put to much trust in ourselves. It is very much like that quote put it about the one who worships himself is worshipping a fool. You ought to develop those thoughts as deep as you can. Good stuff brother, keep doing what you are doing.
