What are you “married” to?

1 Kings 11:1-4

King Solomon, however, loved many foreign women besides Pharaoh’s daughter — Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Sidonians and Hittites.  They were from nations about which the Lord had told the Israelites, “You must not intermarry with them, because they will surely turn your hearts after their gods.  Nevertheless, Solomon held fast to them in love.  He had seven hundred wives or royal birth and three hundred concubines, and his wives led him astray.  As Solomon grew old, his wives turned his heart after other gods, and his heart was not fully devoted to the Lord his God, as the heart of David his father had been.

Solomon was a very wise dude, but he was still human.  He unwisely married many women who worshipped other gods.  This led him to eventually turn his heart away from the One true God.

So… what are you “married” to?  I’m not talking about your wife or husband.  I’m talking about things that hold your interest or grab your heart.  It could be your ministry, your job, your favorite hobby, sports, TV, video gaming, whatever…  None of that is bad per say, however, too much of any of that could, if you let it, turn your heart away from God.   (Sometimes it’s about balance.)

So, the question is… are you allowing those other things steal your heart from God?  Are you so focused on the things of this world (or even on “church things” that God really doesn’t desire for you to be part of at this time) that you have lost your focus on God?

That’s what this scripture got me thinking about.  It challenges me in my own life.

… on a side note …  700 hundred wives and 300 concubines?  What was Solomon thinking?