Confessions From a Coke Addict

I have a list a mile long of things I want- thinner thighs, pearly white (healthy) teeth, a new wardrobe, money in the bank, a deeper relationship with God, a better relationship with my step-daughter, my bachelor's degree, to write a book, etc... I WANT a lot of things. But what do I do about it?

I have this very bad habit of eating a cheeseburger and drinking a Coke while I thumb through exercise programs and diet plans on Pinterest. The things I WANT are not evident by my actions. If I REALLY WANT thinner thighs and healthy, pearly white teeth, I should stop drinking the Coke. That would also add more money to the bank, too! There are many things in my life that I WANT but not at the expense of the things that I WANT MORE. It seems logical to give up Coke and Cheeseburgers for thinner thighs and a nicer smile. But the truth is, I love my Coke, and at this point in my life I haven't been willing to give it up... yet. Not for good, anyway.

I know you health-nuts are screaming at me to just put down the Coke but there's an even bigger lesson here. What are we putting before God?

The very first Commandment is to have no other gods before the One True God. That means NOTHING and nobody comes before Him. As Christians, we like to think we have this Commandment down... but do we? No, we don't worship Buddha and we don't have any little chubby idols in our houses... but are we putting other things before God?

I mentioned earlier that I want a better relationship with God. Well, what am I doing about it? I want more quiet time with Him... but do I want it more than I want that extra hour of sleep in the morning? I want to read His Word more... but do I want it more than I want to watch TV at night? Am I putting things before God?

I think if we're honest with ourselves, we ALL put things before God once in a while - probably without even thinking about it. I want to challenge you today to take a good look at your WANT list and your WANT MORE list. Which side of your list is God on?? If you're like me, you might need to re-evaluate some things in your life and make sure your actions are reflecting your desires and that your desires are in keeping God first.