When Good Things Become God Things

How blessings slowly take the place only God was meant to hold.

📖 Scripture

“You shall have no other gods before Me.”
— Exodus 20:3

“For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”
— Matthew 6:21

“Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.”
— Matthew 6:33

📘 Bible Study

It hit me on an ordinary Thursday afternoon.

The sun was beginning to set behind the trees outside my living room window, turning everything a warm shade of gold. Light spilled across the hardwood floor, catching dust particles in the air—little floating reminders that life never really stops moving.

I sat on the edge of my couch, shoes still on, purse still over my shoulder, scrolling through my phone out of habit instead of hunger. I wasn’t looking for anything. I was just… avoiding stillness. Avoiding silence. Avoiding God.

I didn’t mean to, of course.
No one ever means to drift.

But there I was, clicking through photos of someone’s new house, someone else’s vacation, someone’s shiny new car, and reading a post about “finally reaching the next level” as if success was something you could purchase at the gas station.

And something inside me tightened—quiet, subtle, almost unnoticeable.
But God has a way of making quiet things loud when He needs to.

“What are you chasing?”

The question wasn’t audible, but it may as well have been.
It felt like it echoed in the room around me.
It felt like it echoed inside me.

I put my phone down slowly, staring at the glow of the screen as it faded into black.
I don’t know why that’s always the moment conviction hits hardest—the silence after distraction.

Because in that quiet, I realized something painful:

Good things had slowly become God things in my life.

Not intentionally.
Not rebelliously.
Just quietly.

Little by little, I had elevated things that were never meant to sit on a throne.

🏠 The House That Owned Me

For someone else, it might be a boat.
A side job.
A bank account.
A hobby.
A relationship.
A dream.
A reputation.

But for me—it was the house.

Not a mansion. Not a showpiece.
Just a home I had worked hard for—painted walls with my favorite colors, matching blankets, the right décor, the new furniture smell that still lingered months later.

I loved it.
Maybe a little too much.

I didn’t see the shift happening—not at first.
But suddenly, Saturday mornings weren’t for rest.
They were for cleaning.
Fixing.
Organizing.
Planning the next project.

And Sunday afternoons weren’t for reflection.
They were for errands.
Shopping.
Making everything “just right.”

Somewhere along the way, the blessing had become the center.
The gift had become the focus.
And the Giver… pushed to the background.

Not rejected—just replaced.

⚖️ “Will This Matter on Judgment Day?”

As I sat there that Tuesday, staring at the blank phone screen, God pressed a question into my heart so deeply I felt it in my bones:

“Will this matter on Judgment Day?”

Will the house?
The car?
The hobbies?
The accomplishments?
The compliments?
The goals?
The schedule?
The busyness?

Will any of this be worth defending when I stand face to face with Jesus?

What will I say?

“Lord, I know I didn’t spend time with You—but you should have seen my kitchen countertops.”
“Lord, I know I didn’t serve—but I finally paid off my car.”
“Lord, I know I didn’t forgive—but I reached my promotion goal.”
“Lord, I know I didn’t read Your Word—but I finally organized the garage.”

Will any of that hold weight before a holy God?
Will any of that be worth the hours, the stress, the sacrifice?

Or will it crumble like sand in my hands?

In that moment, I knew the truth:
I had traded eternal things for temporary comfort.
And I didn’t even realize it.

🔥 When Blessings Become Burdens

God gives good gifts.
He loves to bless His children.

But blessings become burdens when we ask them to do what only God can.

A house cannot give peace.
A job cannot give purpose.
Success cannot give salvation.
Hobbies cannot give healing.
Comfort cannot give calling.

Nothing can take God’s place—not without sinking under the weight of our expectations.

Good things become God things…
and then they become exhausting things.
Heavy things.
Empty things.
Idols.

And idols don’t look like golden statues anymore.

Sometimes they look like remodeled living rooms.
Sometimes they look like gym memberships.
Sometimes they look like bank accounts.
Sometimes they look like dreams dressed in motivation quotes.

🕊️ The Return to Simplicity

I took a deep breath that evening.
One of those breaths that presses the tears right to the edge of your eyelashes.

“Lord… I’m sorry.
I’ve let the gifts distract me from the Giver.”

And I meant it.

Not out of guilt—
but out of clarity.
Out of relief.
Out of coming home.

Because God isn’t trying to take things from me.
He’s trying to take His place back.

He’s the only One worthy.
The only One eternal.
The only One who will matter when everything else fades.

💭 Reflection

Is there a good thing in your life that may be quietly taking more space than God?

🙏 Prayer

Lord, thank You for every gift You’ve given me.
Forgive me for allowing blessings to replace Your presence.
Gently realign my heart, reorder my priorities, and take Your rightful place again.
I want You—above all else.
Amen.

👣 Practical Step

This week, intentionally pause before investing time or energy into something you love.
Ask: “Is this drawing me closer to God—or quietly replacing Him?”

💌 Invite a Friend

If this spoke to you, share it with someone you love.
Sometimes we don’t realize we’ve drifted—until someone gently helps us see it.