Recently I was reading some A.W. Tozer and was hit by these words: “Men and women are being molded by their affinities, shaped by their affections and powerfully transformed by the artistry of their loves. In the unregenerate world of Adam, this produces, day by day, tragedies of cosmic proportions.” Take a moment to read that again. Let it sink in. Every day, we are being molded by what we are choosing to love.
Our lives are framed by those things to which we are giving our attention. We choose. We decide how our lives will be shaped. For most of us, circumstances have occurred over which we’ve had no control. Some of these are so horrific we cannot help but have them shape who we are. But most of what we allow to shape our lives is by our choice. And most of it is not healthy.
We were created in the image of God – every one of us. Our primary purpose is to bring God glory by the way we live. We were designed to glorify our Creator. When was the last time we consciously considered this fact? When making decisions in our lives, how often do we – first – determine which decision gives us the greater opportunity to allow God to be glorified through the situation? I know I’m putting words in your mouth and speaking in broad generalities, but I’m going to suggest we rarely – if ever – do this. Maybe if it’s over a very spiritual or moral decision. Maybe; I’m betting we still are considering a selfish angle first. But what about the mundane, day-to-day decisions we make? How often are we not just sending up a ten second prayer for wisdom, but really partnering with and consulting God?
What we do with this moment of our lives is a building block for who we will become. Every moment matters. I become more convinced of this every day. The little things matter. How we speak matters. What we think about matters. What work and activity we do matters. All of these are, to one degree or another, within our control. This world is an evil, sin-filled place. It’s difficult to make the right decisions amidst a culture pulling us the opposite direction. I get that. I deal with the same things you do every day. And yes, I fail just like you. But the difficult task before us is not an impossible task.
All things are possible for those of us who love and devote our lives to God (Matthew 19:26; John 14:12). His power through us makes a way for us to not only survive, but to thrive in the face of the enemy. If we choose to glorify Him in this moment, and then the next, we will see life as it was meant to be. We will never experience complete joy and significance in pursuit of anything else. Only God is worthy of our love. Only He is worthy of our devotion and praise. To God alone be the glory. He will be glorified. We get to decide if we will be part of it. We get to decide to honor or dishonor Him with our lives. What is it you love most? What has your attention? What are you allowing to shape your life?