Think of the story of the rich young man in Matthew 19:16-26. The young man came to Jesus wanting to know what other good things he might do to obtain eternal life. Jesus' answer for him was to simply "keep the commandments." The young man avowed that he had kept these commandments. What Jesus said in reply is as important for us as it was for the young man. Jesus said:
"If you wish to be complete, go and sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me."
You see, Jesus could see right into the young man's heart. He knew that there was something that he was hanging onto, trusting in them more than he trusted in Him. For this man, it was his money. What is it for you?
Our completion (perfection, growth in the Lord, maturity) is dependent upon discovering what those things are, [those things] that we rely on "in a pinch." These are the very things that are preventing us from walking in the Spirit. Once He helps us to identify them, God will ask us to do the same thing that He required of the the rich young man. He will ask us to give them up! And the only way to do that is to "Come, follow [Him]." The rich young man had a choice to make, and he didn't choose wisely. . . Will you lay down your gods, and follow after the one and only God? Will you be honest with yourself and say what Isaiah said of himself and the Israelites? He said this in Isaiah 26: 13:
"O Lord our God, other masters besides You have ruled us."
Or will you continue in a lifestyle that leads to the predictable legacy for your children and grandchildren as seen in 2 Kings 17:41 that says:
"So while these nations feared the Lord, they also served their idols; their children likewise and their grandchildren, as their fathers did, so they do to this day."
Will you let God put all the pieces of your heart, that reveal what rules you, into their proper place, by your surrender of them to Him? If your misaligned pieces of your heart are anything like mine, they do not serve you well in the end. We have a saying in our home that we should ask ourselves about those idols we tend to default to: "How's that working out for you?"
(Excerpt from Spiritual Healing: The Surrender That Brings Victory--Chapter 6)
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