At this time of New Year, I am not referring to the stock-pile of weapons of mass destruction (WMDs) in the arsenals of Superpowers. Rather, I intend to focus in this 3 part series on WMDs of a different kind, ones that are just as deadly to a Christian’s spiritual life.
Now what exactly are these abbreviated WMDs in the life of a Child of God? Without keeping my readership in any further suspense, let me bring forth the expansion of the said abbreviation in the spiritual realm: “Weapons of Mass distraction”!
Ironically, these WMDs are not forbidden sins such as theft, adultery, murder, lying etc., but rather they are blessings given to us by a benevolent God, which are then deceitfully used by the Enemy with devastating effects to draw us from the pure, simple devotion we are supposed to have for our Redeemer God: : “But I am afraid that just as Eve was deceived by the serpent’s cunning, your minds may somehow be led astray from your sincere and pure devotion to Christ.” (2 Cor 11:3 NIV). In order for us to avoid lowering our spiritual guard in any way — for it would result in us being outwitted — it would serve us well to comprehend what these blessings that can double up as lethal spiritual WMDs actually are!
First things first…
Before we proceed even by a proverbial step, wouldn’t it be worthwhile to recollect the primary purpose behind our election as the Bride of Christ? In this context, let me quote from the The Living Bible “I am anxious for you with the deep concern of God himself –anxious that your love should be for Christ alone, just as a pure maiden saves her love for one man only, for the only one who will be her husband” (12 Cor 11:2 TLB).Sadly, the gifts that I will be listing in this three part series, given to us by the generous Giver of all gifts, can subtly be used by our spiritual adversary to completely divert our spiritual focus, so much so that we could unconsciously end up glorifying the gifts rather than the Giver. Now unto the first part of our series…
1. Relationship
The good Lord is the source behind all loving relationships, both the parental and the marital ones, to name a few. They have all been lovingly placed in our lives to accomplish a purpose. If it is one of sustenance and guidance in the case of parent-child relationship, than it is one of companionship and fellowship in the case of relationships beginning with the tying of a nuptial knot. However, for a doting parent, when his offspring becomes an idol, and by the same token in a conjugal bond when the object of affection becomes a competitor to God in the matter of devotion, we have a ‘hot potato in our hands’ meaning simply ‘big trouble’.
Sadly do not we see this disturbing trend in Christian parents, especially those blessed with a child after many years of marriage? Far from being ready ‘to lay their Issac on the altar’ at God’s bidding, they lay down their own spiritual welfare ‘at the altar of their Issac’.
Time hitherto well spent in Church meetings, cottage prayer meetings and personal devotions is now utilized in either taking the child for an outing or preparing for his exams. Misplaced love dearly cost a doting parent like the High priest Eli (See 1 Sam. 2:11-3:14/1 Sam 4:1-18), for firstly his parental love blinded him to the primary responsibility of training up his sons in a way they should go. On a more serious plane, it prevented him from seriously reining them in once they had departed from the Lord’s ways. If the good Lord, through His patented “tricks or kicks”, is setting Christian parents right in their pathway of following Him with correct priorities, then they would do well to praise the Lord for the necessary discipline the all-wise Parent has brought into their lives, lest they too be dubbed in the Heavenly circles with a dubious title ‘a parent like Eli’.
Coming to skewed priorities in a marital bond, we all know what happened when the very first husband Adam listened more to God’s gift to him rather than the Giver of the gift (See Genesis 3:6). To say that we are still suffering from the ‘after-effects’ of the world’s first hubby’s distorted priorities would simply be a case of stating the obvious (See Romans 8:22-23).
On His part, our Lord has made it very clear: He wants no competition!
“If you love your father or mother more than you love me, you are not worthy of being mine; or if you love your son or daughter more than me, you are not worthy of being mine.” (Matt. 10:37 NLT) “…for loving even our near and dear ones more than the Lord would amount to pure idol worship” (1 John 5:21 NLT). Nothing more, nothing less and nothing else!!!
The key to keeping these precious relationships (parental or marital) in proper perspective lies in accepting them with much thanksgiving from the hands of the Lord: “For everything God made is good, and we may eat it gladly if we are thankful for it, and if we ask God to bless it, for it is made good by the Word of God and prayer.” (1 Tim. 4:4-5 TLB), thereby always remembering that the Giver of all gifts deserves the best of our affection.
Prayer: Father, enable us to keep our priorities clear in order we love thee unreservedly. In Jesus’ Name. Amen
Suresh Manoharan
J and SM Ministries
Hyderabad-India
(To access the entire “Now THESE WMDs Are Deadly!” miniseries, please click here.)
