Messed Up
Scripture Reading — Romans 1:18-25
They exchanged the truth about God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator—who is forever praised.
Viewing a stunning panorama from a mountaintop, gazing up at a sky filled with stars, or admiring a glorious sunset, we are often filled with awe and wonder at our Creator. Even many people who don’t acknowledge the God of the Bible will exclaim, “Such beauty didn’t just happen by accident!”
In Romans 1, the apostle Paul explains that God made his “eternal power and divine nature” clear since the creation of the world, so there is no excuse for anyone who may claim they are not aware of God.
It’s a matter of opening eyes of faith and focusing on God instead of ourselves. God made us to glorify him and look to the needs of others, as he does for us. But too often we follow our own desires and ignore God, exchanging the truth for a lie (see Genesis 3:6). When we push God aside and pour all our energy into other things— career, sports, pleasure, politics, hobbies, trends, and more—we serve those things rather than the Creator. We glorify them instead of the God who made us. We mess up the good life he created us to enjoy.
If God didn’t step in to save us, we would have been lost forever. So in response to God’s love, let’s not listen to lies like “There is no God” or “I am number one.” Instead, knowing the truth revealed in Jesus, we can shout our praise: “Thanks be to God, our Savior!”
Creator God, we know we are inclined to sin and to focus on ourselves. Thank you for sending Jesus to save us, and help us to live to your glory. Amen.
About the author — George Vink
Pastor George Vink has served as a pastor in the Christian Reformed Church for more than 30 years in British Columbia, Montana, Michigan, and California. He and his wife, Shirley, have four married sons and nine grandchildren.
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