Saved by My Jealous God!
1 John 2:15-17
Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life, is not from the Father but is from the world. And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.
Looking back, I remember feeling lost and anxious for most of my life.
As an adult, I had two cherished idols in my life- achieving my personal financial goals and career advancements.
I was more than willing to work hard and do whatever it took, to meet my goals and realize my dreams. Nothing else really mattered to me, nothing could stop me, and I was determined not to let anything get in my way. Things were good for a while, but even in abundance, I could always sense a desperation that drove me to work harder.
On the work front, I was going at it 24x7. Family time did not matter whatsoever, as I strove to climb the corporate ladder, because that’s all that mattered!
God & spiritual disciplines were out of scope in my life. Going to church and reading the Bible were chores to be done on Fridays. Prayers were about my worldly desires only.
My insatiable desire for financial gain drove me to invest in the stock market and even in lottery tickets! Alas, little did I know that soon they would become some of my biggest blunders.
My house of cards came crashing down in December 2017 when I lost my job, and with the downward spiraling of my career, my financial aspirations too quickly went down the drain.
Soon enough, losing control over my most sacred idols started taking a heavy toll on my already imperfect (because of my messed-up priorities) marriage. The fact that I lost my job a few days after my wife gave birth to our lovely son, made it all the more crushing. Instead of being able to enjoy my proudest moment as a new first-time dad and being there to support my wife through the struggles of new motherhood, I became obsessed with getting my job back. As I sank into a black-hole of frustration, fear & desperation, my indifferent attitude towards her & the baby led to constant arguments and an ever increasing rift between us.
We were struggling in all aspects and truly needed help!
And, Jesus who is merciful & compassionate to sinners like me, saw through me and touched me with his righteous right hand. Just like he called Matthew out from the tax collector’s table, he reached out to me too and called me to follow Him. He filled me with an incomprehensible joy and peace that could only come from Him.
The day that I started listening to my Lord, the noises of the world started fading.
Since then, my worldly ambitions, my anxieties and my fears are being slowly replaced by the truth of the Gospel. Now, there is an increasing desire to be conformed to his image, to obey his will, and to live a life worthy of him.
All glory and honor be to our almighty God, whose name is Jealous!
Philippians 4:6-7
Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus!