By: Rae Lynn DeAngelis
Several years ago, while playing softball outside with the kids, our fun in the sun was cut short when we noticed a dark cloud moving directly towards us. As the object got closer, it made a strange buzzing sound, almost like a weed eater. We quickly realized the cloud was a swarm of bees.
I screamed and gathered the kids to my side, scrambling as fast as I could towards the house. From the kitchen window, we watched the bees settle into one of the trees out front. My husband and I didn’t want these unwelcome guests to establish a nest in our yard, so we began making some phone calls to see what could be done.
Within hours a local bee keeper arrived on the scene and escorted the bees to their new home. He explained that sometimes a hive becomes over populated, leaving the queen with inadequate space for laying her eggs. She abandons the nest, and since the bees are attracted to the queen, many will either follow her or establish a new home.
Sometimes a similar scenario takes place in a large church.
Some time ago, we were part of a congregation that was blessed with a talented and dynamic preacher. It was not uncommon to laugh, cry, and suffer painful conviction all in one sermon message. The church grew rapidly, tripling in size in only a few short years. The preacher was adored by everyone.
Then, without warning, the pastor abruptly left our congregation. Everyone was in shock. Many began to wander aimlessly, wondering whether they should try and follow this beloved leader or simply look for a new church home. The church lost many of its members during this shake up.
So, what happened?
No one can say for sure, but I have my personal theory. Because the preacher was dynamic, he received a lot of attention. (I don’t believe he encouraged this celebrity-like interest, but sometimes the one receiving the devotion has little control over these things.) The attraction became fatal when this man was placed on a pedestal above everyone else. “They worshiped their idols, which became a snare to them.” (Psalm 106:36)
This is a common tactic of the enemy. He deceives us into thinking that something other than God can satisfy. (Satan used this very same tactic in the Garden of Eden). Idol worship manifests itself in many different ways—including the worship of man. Anytime we take our focus away from God and place it elsewhere, we set ourselves up for a hard fall. Like Adam and Eve, it doesn’t take long to realize we’ve been duped by the enemy.
God will not share His throne with anyone—not even a preacher man. When we allow other things in the world to take the place of God, it often results in some kind of fatality. We need to keep our focus on God and God alone.
“But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your forefathers served beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD.” (Joshua 24:15)
