Are We Fitting God Into Our Mold?
By Pastor Scott Patz
First Baptist Church, Van Vleck
Have you ever caught yourself telling God where He should stand in your life?
It’s easy to chuckle at wedding rehearsals. If you’ve ever watched a groom and his groomsmen getting prepped before walking down the aisle, the advice is usually simple: Be on time, put on the suit, stand where you’re told, and keep quiet. All eyes are on the bride. The groom stands right there at the altar, but the day's focus is on everyone else.
As funny as that picture is, it raises a convicting question for the church today: Are we treating Jesus like a guest at our own wedding?
When Good Traditions Replace the First Love
In Revelation 2, Jesus speaks to the church in Ephesus. On the outside, Ephesus looked like a model congregation. They worked hard, endured hardship patiently, stood firm against false teaching, and held to the truth.
Yet, Jesus points out a critical flaw:
“Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love.”
— Revelation 2:4
The Ephesians had built such a rigid, self-contained system that they lost sight of Christ Himself, and their love for the people around them.
It is dangerously easy for us as believers to do the exact same thing. We line up our expectations, our personal comfort, and our preferred routines, and then we say, "This is truth, so God, you've got to fit into our truth." We want God’s blessing on our plans, but we don't want Him disrupting our lives.
"That’s Just the Way I Am"
When we catch ourselves saying things like, "Well, that’s just the way the Lord made me; I can't change," we are missing the point of the Gospel.
That isn't how God made you—that’s what sin made you. And Jesus died on the cross so you wouldn't have to stay that way.
When we hold tightly to our own habits, opinions, or rigid traditions above our love for Christ, we end up excluding the very work God wants to do in us and through us in our community.
Returning to Where We Started
Jesus doesn't leave the church in Ephesus without hope, and He doesn't leave us without hope either. He gives three clear steps to reset our hearts:
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Remember where you have fallen. Look back at the passion, humility, and love you had when you first came to know Christ.
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Repent of trying to put God in a box. Turn away from self-centered religion and step back under His lordship.
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Do the works you did at first. Re-center your daily life on loving God with all your heart and loving your neighbors as yourself.
Let’s stop asking God to fit into our truth. Instead, let's yield our hearts to His truth, letting Him lead, shape, and transform First Baptist Church for His glory.
Join Us This Sunday!
Whether you’ve been walking with God for decades or are asking questions about faith for the very first time, there is a place for you here at First Baptist Church in Van Vleck.
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Sunday School: 9:30 AM
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Worship Service: 10:45 AM
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Location: 9210 TX-89, Van Vleck, TX 77482
Come as you are—we'd love to welcome you into our church family!
