No Returns, No Refunds and No Exchanges, Please

Matthew 4:10b Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.

December 26th has to be the biggest "hassle" day for retailers. I have seen lines a hundred deep of people waiting to exchange ill-fitting clothing, duplicate items or maybe even unwanted ones. Every year I wonder why all those people can't wait just a couple of days to get their items corrected. If they did their 2-hour return could turn into a 10-minute one. That sounds much more attractive to me. What is it in us that so deeply desires to exchange our Christmas presents, that we'll wait for hours in a line?

This morning I begin a new voyage into the book of Romans. I once heard a Christian author and speaker who I greatly respect say, "The first eleven chapters of Romans is just full of information we'll never understand until we get to heaven." While I think this woman is an amazing Bible teacher, wife and mother, I think she was way off base in this statement. God gave His Word not to the elite, seminary trained few so that only they could understand it. He gave His Word to everyone. That means its' every part is understandable by everyone, even a simple-minded girl like me.

Before I begin the journey into this letter I want to make certain that truth is cemented in my heart.

• When God gave the law to Moses it was for everyone in Israel. Deuteronomy 6:4-9 which is the summarial basis for the Old Testament law begins, "Hear O Israel". It doesn't say, "Hear only the priests," or "Hear only the most wealthy". Those words were for every person in Israel and they are for me.
• Paul begins his letters to the Romans, "To all in Rome" (Rom. 1:7). This letter is for every Christian in Rome and it is for me.
• Paul wants to be so sure that this point is clear that in his letter to the Philippians, he addresses it to "all the saints in Christ Jesus at Philippi, together with the overseers and deacons". It's almost as if Paul is saying to the church leadership, "Don't hoard this letter for yourself. It is for every lover of Jesus in your church." And it is for me.

God wants to be found by His people. He does not hide from us. He doesn't inspire words to be written that He doesn't intend to be understood by every one of His beloved children.

Now that I have that settled in my heart and mind, I am ready to begin. The beginning is exactly where this epistle starts. The major emphasis of this first chapter is how people originally turned away from God. As I read, one essential ingredient sticks out to me. If I want to continue to walk closely with God, I have to not exchange His truth for the world's lies. "They (people in general) exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator-who is forever praised. (Verse 25)"

It is very easy to shift my focus from the Creator to the created.

• My Husband - My Scott is the single greatest blessing God has ever given me, but if his approval becomes essential for me to experience joy, he has become my God. If I am incapacitated by the thought of facing a future without him, he has become my God.
• My Children - My kids are the greatest source of human happiness I experience day by day, however if I can't find time to spend with God because I'm chasing after them, they have become my God. If I forfeit God's best for our family and allow the entire household to revolve around their activities, education and friends, they have become my God.
• My Home - God has richly blessed our family with a very comfortable home in which I take great joy in taking care. However, if I am more concerned with how my house looks, than the people who live in it, my home has become my God. If I am too busy cleaning counter tops and sorting laundry to pray, my home has become my God.

I could continue to list many things that things, most of which are wonderful blessings from God, that scratch and fight for first place in my heart. That is God's rightful place alone. Exchanging Him for anything else is a losing proposition. I think part of the reason we'll brave a long Christmas exchange line is because we are that desperate to have the longings of our heart filled. Only Jesus can satisfy my heart's longings.

Jesus, today I give you first place in my heart. No returns. No Refunds. No Exchanges.