Doing What Makes You Feel Good by Precious C Philip

Are you the kind of person who only goes for what makes them feel good; who gets involved only in what gratifies their senses? The kind of person who constantly thinks of how to look good and appear affluent before people? The kind of person whose motto for living is "Do only what makes you feel good"? Who constantly chants "It's all about me, myself and I"? Then, although you may not be cognizant of this, but the reality is that you are guilty of idolatry -you are serving the god of "self" - you made yourself an idol that you are worshiping. Though your lips may claim to worship the God of heaven, your heart and actions betray your words because they're worshipping another god -YOU. 

Let me further explain:

You know all the lyrics of Beyonce's latest song, you took your time to study the lyrics and know every word, but you don't know the word of the God you profess to be serving. How do you serve someone without giving heed to their word and knowing all that they say? A servant listens to the words of his master attentively to serve him acceptably, so also does a maid to her madam. If you're truly serving God, you'll know His word. You have time to memorise the lyrics of a secular song that makes your flesh feel good, but you cannot memorize scriptures; are you not serving yourself? 

You know living with someone you're not married to is a sin; you know fornication, adultery, masturbation, homosexuality, watching pornography is a sin against God and against the temple of the Holy Spirit which your body is, yet you continue to engage in these things because of the good feeling they give you for some seconds or minutes. Are you not worshiping yourself and your lusts? Remember God's word in 1 John 2:16 "for all these worldly things, these evil desires—the craze for sex, the ambition to buy everything that appeals to you, and the pride that comes from wealth and importance—these are not from God. They are from this evil world itself."

You know drinking alcohol, smoking cigarettes, taking drugs, is against the will of God for your life as a child of God (see Ephesians 5:18), but you still consume these things because they make your flesh feel good. Are you not your own idol? 

You can't readjust your schedules to attend a church program, a crusade, a conference, or a church meeting, but you can readjust your program to watch a football match or a concert held by Cardi B or any other secular musician just to be entertained. Are you not serving YOU? 

You can pay any amount of money -even spend your savings just to attend a comedy show hosted by A.Y Comedian or a concert held by a secular artiste - to have fun and feel good, but you cannot pay the same amount or even less than that to attend a Christian conference or participate in CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) activities. Are you not your own god that you are serving? 

You can spend money on expensive food and expensive alcoholic drinks like champagne, hennessy, moet..., to drink and feel good or to entertain your friends and be seen as a rich person, but you cannot spend money to clothe, feed, and shelter the poor. Are you not your own idol that you are worshipping? 

Remember the warning of Proverbs 21:13 "Those who shut their ears to the cries of the poor will be ignored in their own time of need."

All the money you get you spend on taking care of yourself alone, beautifying yourself, feeding and clothing yourself: buying jewelries, expensive bags, expensive wigs, expensive make-up kits, clothes and shoes, latest smartphone, and all kinds of gadgets to look good in public, feel good about yourself, try to boost your self-esteem and make people admire you. But you never think of helping the destitute around you - those in lack of the basic necessities of life. Are you not serving yourself?

You spend every penny you get on acquiring properties here and there for yourself, building houses for yourself, buying cars for yourself, and giving ladies money in exchange for sexual pleasure; but you find it hard to faithfully give God 10% of your financial increase, you find it difficult to give God quality offerings that He deserves, you find it hard to give money to promote the gospel of Jesus through evangelism outreaches, building of churches, purchasing Bibles etc. Are you not your own idol that you are serving? 

You never play, listen and sing songs that glorify God and makes Him feel good, but you are always listening to secular songs that makes your flesh feel good even though the words of the song teaches what is against the teaching of the Bible and grieves God. Are you not serving yourself? 

It's sad, but many people in church are not serving God - they're serving themselves like the rich fool in Luke 12: 16-21. Those who worship themselves on earth will have no place in God's heavenly kingdom, because only the worshippers of God are entitled to spend eternity with Him in His kingdom (Matthew 7:21). Who are you really serving? Carefully consider this question. If you find out you're serving the idol of self, repent and turn from your idolatry. God is merciful to forgive you and accept you. God hates the sin of idolatry, and idolatry is a sin capable of stopping you from entering Heaven. 

Proverbs 6:16 reveals to us that a man is a slave to whoever he obeys. You are either a "slave" to God by submission and obedience to Him, or you are a slave to yourself by submission to your lusts and fleshly desires. "Slaves" of God are servants of God who serve God. Those who serve themselves are servants of themselves who serve themselves. 

Whose servant are you? 

I leave you with this scripture: "It’s clear that we don’t live to honor ourselves, and we don’t die to honor ourselves. If we live, we honor the Lord, and if we die, we honor the Lord. So whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord." Romans 14:7-8

God bless you.