Spares

I try to keep a week's worth of blogs written at a time. The key word there is "try"; I haven't managed it yet this year. Still, I prefer to stay ahead of the game and keep "spare" posts at the ready in case I don't have time to write something that day. I try to keep spares for a lot of things in life, a habit I come by honestly: my grandfather kept everything from backup VCR's to extra commodes. The Peterses do not like to need something in an emergency and not have one on hand.

Unfortunately many people see their faith as a spare, a backup. If something in life totally falls apart, they pull out prayer or church attendance like a spare tire, drive on it until the main problem is fixed, then throw it back in the trunk where it will await the next emergency. Or, even worse, religion is nothing but a backup plan for a lived atheism: "I don't believe in this God idea, but I'll go through the motions of being a Christian just in case I'm wrong and hell is real. Cover my bases."

Neither of those is a real saving faith in Jesus Christ. Neither of those gives you eternal life through his blood. You're either all-in or out. God is not a spare tire or extra coat; He is the Sovereign of the universe. He will only be the first plan, the main thing, the primary purpose. Anything else is to raise an idol in His rightful place as Lord of your life.

The best part? With God as your main, you don't even need a spare. He'll never fail, never wear thin, never die. God is forever everything you need, and He is sufficient to handle anything His creation can throw at Him. Keep the main thing the main thing. Get rid of the spares.