Day 310: Rivals for the Heart (2024)

2024/11/5

The Bible in a Year (with Fr. Mike Schmitz)

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Fr. Mike Schmitz

Fr. Mike Schmitz: 人们很容易将美好的事物偶像化，使其成为争夺我们心灵的上帝的竞争对手。我们可以通过观察哪些事物优先于与上帝相处的时间来发现这些竞争对手。这就像婚姻关系一样，不容忍任何竞争对手。如果某事物可能会与上帝竞争，那么它可能是争夺我们心灵的竞争对手。我们常常让运动、工作、爱好等成为与上帝竞争争夺我们心灵的主要竞争对手，这是一种愚蠢的行为。我们需要不断地提醒自己，上帝是我们生命中的唯一焦点，任何其他事物都只是辅助，而不是竞争对手。我们应该将与上帝的关系置于一切之上，避免任何可能与上帝竞争的事物占据我们的心灵和时间。 Fr. Mike Schmitz: 我们并非将坏事变成神，而是将好事变成最终极的事物，成为争夺我们心灵的上帝的竞争对手。我们需要不断地反省，找出那些可能成为我们与上帝之间竞争对手的事物，并努力调整我们的生活方式，将与上帝的关系置于一切之上。我们需要认识到，与上帝的关系是神圣而独特的，不容忍任何竞争对手。只有将上帝放在首位，我们才能获得真正的幸福和满足。我们需要警惕那些可能成为我们与上帝之间竞争对手的事物，并努力调整我们的生活方式，将与上帝的关系置于一切之上。只有这样，我们才能真正地与上帝建立亲密的关系，并获得真正的幸福和满足。

Deep Dive

Key Insights

Why is it important to identify and address the things that compete for our devotion to God?

Our relationship with God does not tolerate rivals; anything that contests for our heart's devotion can hinder our spiritual growth and true fulfillment. Identifying these rivals helps us prioritize our relationship with God, ensuring that nothing stands between us and our ultimate purpose.

How can we recognize what might be an idol in our lives?

An idol in our lives can be recognized by asking if there is anything that, if it came down to choosing between it and God, might actually have a chance of winning our devotion. This could be a sport, a job, a hobby, or any other good thing that we elevate to an ultimate position.

What does the example of a hockey player illustrate about the fleeting nature of worldly achievements?

The example of the hockey player who scored the winning goal in a national championship but later found that moment insignificant compared to his spiritual milestones shows that worldly achievements, no matter how impressive, are temporary and do not provide lasting fulfillment. It underscores the importance of prioritizing spiritual growth over temporal successes.

Why might people make idols out of good things in their lives?

People often make idols out of good things because they elevate these things to an ultimate position, trusting in them for security, protection, and future rather than in God. This is a form of misplaced devotion, where good things become rivals for our hearts, competing with our relationship with God.

How does the story of the hockey player challenge the priorities of those deeply involved in sports?

The story of the hockey player challenges those deeply involved in sports by showing that even the most significant achievements in sports are fleeting and do not compare to spiritual milestones. It encourages reevaluating priorities to ensure that spiritual growth and relationship with God are not overshadowed by sports achievements.

Chapters

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Shownotes Transcript

Fr. Mike points out how easy it is to take good things and make idols out of them, setting them up as God's rivals for our hearts. We can discover these rivals by noticing the things we prioritize over spending time with God. The readings are 2 Maccabees 13, Wisdom 15-16, and Proverbs 25:15-17.

For the complete reading plan, visit ascensionpress.com/bibleinayear.

Please note: The Bible contains adult themes that may not be suitable for children - parental discretion is advised.

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