Who is your king?
Everyone has one. We might not call him a king (or her a queen, if you prefer), but we each have one authority that we answer to, one that transcends all others. Humans are made that way. Christ proclaimed that we cannot serve two masters. There is one, and only one, that we defer to above all others, albeit imperfectly at times. The question for all of us who claim Christ then becomes is Christ really that king?
A friend who taught me years ago described it this way: If you can think of something that you would not give up for God, then that is your god. While that can answer the question in some cases, it can be very hard to give an honest answer to that question, even to ourselves. A good deal of our lives is not about what we give up, but what we give, and then manner that we give. Looking at my own life, I prefer to think of it this way: Your God is the one you seek to please.
That sounds like a simple enough principle, but it is not one that people take to readily. While God loves us unconditionally, he has no trouble distinguishing between the people He loves and the works that He does not. This isn't the elementary school talent show where everyone gets a prize just for showing up. We're not doing favors for a friend down on his luck. We are offering service to the King. It has to be done right.
The Bible says that without faith, it is impossible to please God. The Bible also says that believing "in God" is not enough. We have to believe God. We have to be prepared to take him at his word.
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