Stripping Idols
Comfort. Predictability. False peace. Order in my surroundings. Busyness. Accomplishments. Productivity. “Me time”. These are a few things that I have allowed to set themselves up as idols in my heart over time.
As life has forcibly slowed down with the arrival of a world-wide pandemic, and most of them have been replaced by the opposite, my dependence on these things has been highlighted. I have learned through bible study, that people have a tendency to drift towards idol worship. It is an age-old problem. No, most of us are not sculpting statues made of bronze or fashioning glistening gold cows to pay homage to, but we if we are honest, we are often turning to other things to fill a need within us that simply cannot be filled by anything other than God.
The bible tells us that God will not be second. He is first. Above all. The Alpha. In Deuteronomy 5:7, the Lord admonishes us, “You shall have no other gods before Me.” What other gods (little g) have you bowed down to or become dependent on? Some that I have observed in culture, in addition to those I listed competing for the first position in my own heart, are: entertainment, sports, control, substances, gambling, self-care, sex, vacation, money, children, materialism, shopping, awards/accolades, relationships, and work.
Anything that we look to to provide for us escape from our reality, peace, rest, identity, or value, is the definition of an idol of the heart. These things (with the exception of a few), are meant to be good gifts to enjoy and add to the abundant life Christ came to give. They are not “bad” in and of themselves, but they were never meant to replace Him.
He is our healer when we are trying to cover up deep wounds. He is our sustainer when we are weary. He is the lifter of our heads when we are downcast. He has determined our value. He has given us our identity. He is our peace. He is in control. He is our provider. He is the exalter. He is our resting place.
This is why putting Him first in our hearts and seeking Him daily in prayer and reading of His Word is so important. It is in those moments Jesus provides exactly what our soul needs at that exact time. It is in the quiet and the stillness, when a million other things aren’t competing for our attention, that we can locate and acknowledge those things that are threatening to take up a larger percentage of our hearts than they should. As we ask the Holy Spirit to remove them and partner to do the work to center our minds back on the Source, out of His unending supply, He will fill us to overflowing.
