While out to sea, the captain of a ship was in complete control of everyone on board. He made all the decisions, decided on the course, directed his officers, settled arguments, officiated at Sunday services and punished those who disobeyed. If he was a good man and a good leader, it was easy for the men aboard to honor him, to esteem him and sometimes even to revere him to an unhealthy degree.
Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the LORD your God is giving you (Exodus 20:12 NIV).
Jesus said in Matthew 4:10 (NIV):
You shall worship the Lord your God and Him only shall you serve.
While my mother was still alive, I admit it, I used to “worship” her. Yes, I honored my father and mother, but I took it too far. When I was younger, I believed in God because my mom said He was real. But I had no understanding outside of what she believed Him to be. Throughout my teenage years I always did everything to please my mom. I did well in school and was a good kid for the most part. I put my mom up on a pedestal so high that it would have to take something huge to knock her off. And something huge happened . . . she died. And there I was, twenty-seven years old, a wife and the mother of three small children; yet I felt alone.
In my anguish I cried to the LORD, and he answered by setting me free (Psalm 118:5 NIV).
At first, I was angry with God for taking my mom from me so soon in life. It was like all the wind went out of my sails and everyone had abandoned ship. I felt totally lost and alone and in the dark. Yet it was in that darkness that I began to crawl toward the light, toward the cross of Jesus. I realized how much my life focused on pleasing my mom for all the wrong reasons. I don’t blame her; I know she did the best she could to raise eight children. She had no idea of the thoughts that went through my or my siblings’ heads. She was a good Christian woman, and I know that she is with the Lord.
I know, O LORD, that a man’s life is not his own; it is not for man to direct his steps (Jeremiah 10:23 NIV).
Jeremiah’s prayer has become my prayer. I now focus my life on pleasing the Lord and no one else. I honor my husband, my children and my grandchildren; but I do not worship them.
We must be careful not to “worship” anyone but God. There is only one Cap’n of yer ship! Don’t cross that fine line.
Debbie Mitchell