365 Days of the Great Names of God, Day 200: Only True God

Only True God

"This is eternal life: that they may know You, the only true God, and the One You have sent—Jesus Christ." (John 17:3 CSB)

When I was in college, I worshiped an idol.

I bowed down to it. I gave it all my time, energy, and attention. I put all my hope on it. I believed in it to fulfill me.

My idol was not a shiny statue or any actual object. My idol was a number: the almighty 4.0 GPA...and I was fiercely loyal to it. Nothing else—not relationships with potential friends, not opportunities for service beyond myself, not peace or joy—mattered more to me.

I worshiped this god more than the only true God because I thought it could do something for me. I thought it would give me a sense of accomplishment and distinction...that I would not be just one of hundreds in my class but someone who stood out. I would have something to be known for. (And if you're thinking this reeks of that dangerous combination of pride and insecurity, you're 100% right.)

I realized the folly of my false worship somewhere along about spring of my senior year. With the 20/20 perspective of hindsight, I could see the stark contrast between my idol and the I AM.

When tested, false gods fail, but the only true God answers every question.

When tried, false gods wither, but the only true God surges.

When questioned, false gods stutter, but the only true God responds without hesitation.

When sought, false gods hide, but the only true God reveals Himself.

When called on, false gods are silent, but the only true God speaks.

Even as I was typing this post, God grabbed my attention with one sentence above: "I worshiped this god more than the only true God." It wasn't that I wasn't worshiping God at all; it's that I was worshiping my idol more. It wasn't that I worshiped my idol instead of God but that I worshiped it in addition to Him. The enemy was very happy with that arrangement: he takes the path of least resistance and grabs onto any piece of our loyalty he can get, because he knows that's all it takes to make our relationship with God less than it could and should be.

But God, whose name is Jealous, is not a God who settles. He is not just one good choice among many; He is the One and Only above all. And He wants all of us, because He knows that's what's best for us.

I know the enemy would love nothing more than to lull me into thinking my idol-worshiping days are as much in the past as the electric typewriter I hunched over for hours, writing college paper after college paper. But the temptation of new idols remains; I don't have to stray very far from my past to worship them in the present. There are new numbers I can bow down to: my bank account or online followers or likes on social media posts.

I need to keep being schooled by the lessons of my college days. I need to be on guard again the lure of idols I think can do something for me...and instead put my thoughts, time, energy, and affections on the only true God who can do something in me.