It's Amazing What We Worship

They have never found a culture that didn't worship. And even atheists and agnostics ascribe worth, like that of religious people, to science and the wonder of our universe. The bottom line is - we are beings who worship. We are creatures who love things.

St. Augustine said that people are defined not by what they believe but by what they love. If that is the case that a good question for all of us is, what do you worship?

Revelation 13 presents a dichotomy of people. Those who love God, and those who love anything but God.

Revelation 13:2 (ESV) And the beast that I saw was like a leopard; its feet were like a bear’s, and its mouth was like a lion’s mouth. And to it the dragon gave his power and his throne and great authority. 3 One of its heads seemed to have a mortal wound, but its mortal wound was healed, and the whole earth marveled as they followed the beast. 4 And they worshiped the dragon, for he had given his authority to the beast, and they worshiped the beast, saying, "Who is like the beast, and who can fight against it?”

The crazy description of the beast precedes this amazing statement, "and they worship the beast."  Translation: we will worship anything when we don't worship God. This beast is a monster, it is grotesque and deformed. Yet the people of the world, lost in idolatry, can do nothing short of adoring and admiring it. Why? Because we are by nature we are creatures who love things.

This is why the greatest commandment is not to believe in God but to love the Lord our God with all of our hearts minds souls and strength. We are to constantly examine our love level with our Father. He created us to love Him and to know Him and to desire Him. When we cease loving Him and desiring Him we open ourselves up to any number of out-of-control desires that ultimately turn on us and enslave us - just like this beast will do the people of the earth in Revelation 13.

Revelation 13:16, 17 (ESV) Also it causes all, both small and great, both rich and poor, both free and slave, to be marked on the right hand or the forehead, so that no one can buy or sell unless he has the mark, that is, the name of the beast or the number of its name.

Notice the beast wants to write his mark on the bodies of his followers. Contrast that with the fact that God has our name written in His book. The beast makes every person accept one identity. God, who throughout scriptures changes names and gives names to His chosen people treats us as individual creations with individual callings and purposes. The beast enslaves his followers, God frees His followers.

It's amazing what we will worship when we don't worship the one true God.

Yet only He is truly worthy of our worship.

Amen.