On the inside back cover of our Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book there's a list of ingredients you can substitute for other ingredients. We've all discovered that we don’t have a needed ingredient — even guys like me, who usually limit ourselves to the outdoor stove called a grill.

For instance, if you don't have cake flour you can substitute one cup minus two tablespoons of regular flour. If you've run out of baking powder, you can substitute ¼ teaspoon of baking soda plus ½ cup of buttermilk or sour milk (reducing the liquid in the recipe by a half cup). If the recipe calls for a cup of tomato juice but you don't have it, substitute ½ cup of tomato sauce plus ½ cup of water.

I've always wondered what would happen if you took a recipe and used a substitute for every ingredient. I guess that might not be a good idea. Substitutes work sometimes, but they're never as good as the original; otherwise they wouldn't be called substitutes!

Substituting one thing for something else can have mixed results; however, there's one area of life where substituting is a huge mistake. Today we’ll conclude our six-part series on “Overcoming the Great Temptations of Life” with the greatest temptation of all: “The Temptation to Find Substitutes for God.” God is supposed to be the key ingredient in life, and substituting anything or anyone else is the most serious mistake we can make.

As columnist Dave Berry always states, “I am not making this up!” Jesus said, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment.” (Matthew 22:37-38) The very first of the Ten Commandments states, “You shall have no other gods before me.” (Deuteronomy 5:7) There's absolutely no substitute for God or for putting Him first in our lives!

Most of us would probably agree with that. However, I wonder whether we really resist the temptation to find substitutes for God in our daily living. Let's reflect further on the idea of really putting God first and not finding substitutes for Him by eavesdropping on a conversation that Jesus had with a wealthy young man.

A YOUNG MAN’S SEARCH
Matthew was one of the original twelve disciples, and he was there when the conversation took place. He stated, “Now a man came up to Jesus and asked, 'Teacher, what good thing must I do to get eternal life?'” (Matthew 19:16) We know from verse 20 that he was a young man; from Luke's account (Luke 18:18) we know that he was some kind of ruler, probably of a local synagogue. We also know that he was wealthy, according to both men’s accounts.

He wanted “eternal life,” as he put it. My commentary suggests that the phrase had a larger meaning than living forever: in general terms, he wanted to live a life that was approved by God and to have access to God's kingdom, now and forever.

What's interesting about Jesus is that He often doesn't give a full, straight answer: He leads a person on a path of self-discovery, which is what He did with this rich young ruler. In other words, Jesus' response wasn’t meant to be construed as a complete answer; it was just a beginning point. Jesus told him to keep the commandments. “Which ones?” the man wanted to know. Jesus listed five of the Ten Commandments and added the summary commandment to love your neighbor as yourself. The man said he’d done that.

The young man really had a lot going for him. He possessed great wealth and held a position of power and prestige. He also was a very good man, keeping the commandments. The man was wealthy, he had a great job with power and prestige, and he was very moral and ethical. Many a person, even today, would be envious of him.

The young man came back with another question for Jesus: “What do I still lack?” He had a good life, but he was wondering whether there was something more he needed to do or have that would guarantee that his life was approved by God.

I've often wondered whether his question was sincere. Did he really feel that he lacked something in his life? Or was he asking the question with the expectation that Jesus would say, “Well, young man, you've got it all together”? I suppose that it doesn't matter. What does matter is how Jesus answered the young man and how the man responded to Jesus.

WHAT IT MEANS TO FOLLOW JESUS
“Jesus answered, 'If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.'” (Matthew 19:21) In other words, Jesus answered the young man's question: he was supposed to give away his wealth.

Bingo! Jesus zeroed in on what was keeping him from having a full relationship with God. The young man wondered what he had to add to his already full, good life to make it truly God-pleasing. He found out that instead of adding anything to his life, he needed to take something out of it: his wealth.

“When the young man heard this, he went away sad, because he had great wealth.” (Matthew 19:22) He wanted more of God but he wasn’t willing to pay the price. Instead of finding God, his wealth was a substitute for God.

The young man failed the test Jesus gave him. Jesus knew what was standing in the way for this young man to fully engage in a relationship with God and to follow Jesus. It was his wealth, which meant more to him than a close relationship with God.

Did Jesus mean to imply that we have to sell everything and give it all away to be followers of Jesus? In short, no. There are many wealthy, godly people portrayed in the Bible: Abraham, King David, King Solomon and Joseph of Arimathea (in whose personal tomb Jesus was buried). Wealth wasn’t the problem; it was the hold his wealth had on him.

THE TEST FOR EACH OF US
The test Jesus gave the young man (to go and sell all that he had) was specifically designed for him. Jesus would have a different test for each of us. How might Jesus design our tests? What would He ask each of us to give up because it's being used as a substitute for Him?

Some people’s security and satisfaction is in money. This is not only a problem for the wealthy who have money and depend on it for security and satisfaction; it can also be a problem for people who don't have enough of it and are insecure and unsatisfied because of that lack. For someone else it might be a job, or the lack of a job, that keeps them from feeling whole as a person. It might be a certain kind of pleasure that a person uses to try to satisfy his deepest need. It could be a hobby someone turns to for ultimate release from the stresses of life or to find real fulfillment, or it might be shopping.

Many things are not bad in and of themselves. In fact many things that God gives us are good; it's just that they aren't good enough to take His place! They’re no substitute for Him!

Like the rich young man, we can even make trying to be a good person a substitute for God. We can believe that being known as Mr. Nice Guy or Miss Nice Gal is the highest compliment.

Like the rich young ruler, we can even make religion, or our involvement in religious activity or the church, a substitute for God! We can become caught up in working in the church and doing a lot of things for God and use that as a substitute for getting to know God and getting close to God Himself. People can sit in church pews for years and serve the church in almost any capacity, giving the illusion of being God's people when they really don't know Him at all!

That can happen to those of us who do have a relationship with God, too. Over time we can slowly substitute doing for Jesus in place of being with Him.

The fact is that God won’t impose Himself on us — nor will Jesus, His Son. This means that we have to intentionally put Him first, keeping anything else from being a substitute for Him. That isn’t easy!

THE HELPLESS ARE HELPED
Thankfully, we’re offered God's help to keep from substituting something for Him! When the rich young man sadly walked away, Jesus said to His disciples, “I tell you the truth, . . .” (Matthew 19:23) [By the way, in the original language the actual word Jesus spoke that’s translated as that phrase (which in the King James is “Verily I say unto you”) is the word “amen.”] Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.” (Matthew 19:23-24)

What an amazing statement! The eye of a needle is about the smallest hole Jesus could have described in His time and place, and the camel was the largest animal. Jesus said that it's easier to thread a camel through a needle than for a rich person to put God first in his life! You and I could substitute this young man's wealth with whatever it is that we substitute for God, and the same principle would apply. As we think of the things that we easily substitute for God, we have to agree with Jesus that it's as difficult to give them up as it would be to push a camel through a needle's eye. We'd also have to agree, with great resignation, with the disciples when they replied, “Who then can be saved?” (Matthew 19:25)

It often seems hopeless that we can keep from substituting something for the number one place God deserves. However, Jesus gave an answer full of hope: “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” (Matthew 19:26)

God can pull a camel through a needle's eye! Imagine that! I suspect that the most difficult part would be in the middle of the process, at the camel's hump. If it were a “two-humper” camel, it'd be twice the challenge! Seriously, our human ability to keep from substituting something for God is non-existent. We need His miraculous help, and we can have it if we just ask for it! Jesus helps us to put Him first!

You and I live in the same world as people who don’t think it’s important to follow Jesus. We’re attracted to the same wrong things that they are; we enjoy the same good things that they enjoy. The big difference is that we’ve decided to follow Jesus, and we want Him to be our ultimate satisfaction. It's not easy, but He's willing to help us if we're willing to try! Today and every day let's determine, with God's help, to live with no substitute for the place He should have in our lives!