What will the thing you worship produce in your life?
It is common for people around us to say that all gods are the same. Or to broaden it beyond actual gods, whatever you choose to live for is fine. You do you.
Yet even a cursory glance at this idea will reveal that not all gods are the same at all. As one psalmist wrote around three thousand years ago:
Not to us, O LORD, not to us, but to your name give glory, for the sake of your steadfast love and your faithfulness! 2 Why should the nations say, “Where is their God?” 3 Our God is in the heavens; he does all that he pleases.
4 Their idols are silver and gold, the work of human hands. 5 They have mouths, but do not speak; eyes, but do not see. 6 They have ears, but do not hear; noses, but do not smell. 7 They have hands, but do not feel; feet, but do not walk; and they do not make a sound in their throat.
8 Those who make them become like them; so do all who trust in them.
(Psalm 115:1-8 ESV)
People from the nations, which means people from other religions in that context, were asking the Israelites where their God was. They couldn’t see their God. Perhaps it looked like their God was not acting as much as they would like Him to. Their gods were often great silver or gold statues in grand temples; you could visit them and see them.
Yet look at the contrast the psalmist writes about in the verses above. The true God is in the heavens. This doesn’t mean that He is removed from His people, more that He is not restricted to being in one location. And the true God does all that He pleases. When you compare this to the gods of the other nations, the contrast is stark. These beautiful statues are made by people. Despite their beauty, they don’t do anything. Their body parts don’t really work. They don’t speak to their worshippers. After you have given your sacrifice to a god like this, you walk away and do whatever you want. In the end, that is no god at all.
Many people today live for something other than the true God. For some people, this is another religion, and the critique of Psalm 115 is directly relevant. Those shrines people make sacrifices to in their houses or restaurants or cars cannot do anything for those who worship them.
The kicker is in v8: those who trust in them become like the gods they trust in. What does this mean? It means they become worthless, they become dead. Following other gods means you become less.
This applies just as well to those who live for something else. In Western society in the modern world, fewer and fewer people would say that they are religious. Yet we all worship something: money, success, family, or experience. The message of Psalm 115 is similar in this context: chasing these things will make you less. In the end, it is worth far less than you imagine.
Consider chasing money as an example. If having more wealth is what drives you, what kind of person will this make you over time? You will be driven by greed, to have more and more, and you will not be satisfied. You will constantly compare yourself to others to see how you are going. You will be afraid of losing what you have and be driven to work more and harder. You will become less generous and more selfish with your money and time. In other words, a life devoted to the god of money doesn’t lead anywhere good. It doesn’t produce good fruit in your life. And, if that’s all you live for, in the end it leads to death. It does nothing to fix your big problem with God.
Living for the true God is so different to this. You will, over time, with the help of the Holy Spirit, become more like the One you worship. You will have more joy and contentment and less drive for more possessions. You will grow in generosity and love for others. You will have hope that is not based on fear or duty. And such a life leads to life rather than death.
Our God, the true God, does whatever He pleases, and is worth following. Those who follow Him will change for the better now and have real hope for the life to come.