Choosing a Substitute - Martin Wiles

Then Aaron took the gold, melted it down, and molded it into the shape of a calf. When the people saw it, they exclaimed, “O Israel, these are the gods who brought you out of the land of Egypt!” Exodus 32:4 NLT

Rarely is choosing a substitute as good as the real thing.

“We have a sub” can spread like a California wildfire through a school. An array of negative emotions may follow the statement. But some students are ecstatic. They envision free time and an opportunity to give a difficult time to this person who isn’t their teacher.

Being the sub is no easier. Often, the call to fill in comes at the last moment, along with the possibility of being totally unfamiliar with the subject area they sub in. For some reason, students don’t perceive subs as having authority. The sub is not their teacher or usually an employee of the school.

As a teacher, I don’t get to choose my subs, but I would have my favorites if I did. The ones who maintain control of the class, know the disciplinary rules, and make the students do the work I’ve left.

God summoned Moses to the peak of Mount Sinai to receive the Ten Commandments and other ceremonial laws. After a long absence, the people assumed something had happened to their leader. They beckoned his brother, who made them a gold calf and said, “Here is your God.” They chose a substitute—and it couldn’t compare.

All around me, I see people choosing substitutes for God. I even fall into the trap periodically myself. My substitutes may be bad habits, sinful practices, laziness, or busyness. Anything that assumes God’s place.

When we choose a substitute, we’ll be disappointed. That’s what God substitutes do. They promise happiness and fulfillment but don’t deliver. They look good but taste bad. They prance around under the guise of being God-sent but never are. God sent Moses, not a golden calf.

Choosing substitutes also guarantees God’s discipline. The Israelites who disobeyed paid the price. Whenever I’ve chosen something to replace the real thing, God has lovingly shown me my error and then convinced me by disciplining me like a loving father.

Don’t let substitutes take God’s place of supreme authority in your life.

Father, keep my eyes focused on You, so I won’t choose substitutes to replace You. 

Tweetable: What substitutes have you chosen? 

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