"Therefore, my dear friends, flee from idolatry." 1 Cor. 10:14
My son recently spent the night at a friend's house, and although it's always a little quieter when he's not here, I just miss him terribly when he's gone. I sort of like it when our little nest is all present and accounted for! After I picked him up, I just sat and looked at him for a minute. He always looks like he's grown an inch or become more mature whenever he's been gone a day. I thought to myself, "I sure do love that boy!".
As a mom, I have to keep my immense love for my kids in check. If I don't, I catch myself idolizing what was meant to be a gift from God, not an object of worship.
I had just had a conversation with some friends about the things we have a tendency to idolize. There are some very worthwhile things (or people) that we can place so much emphasis, time, and energy on, and if we aren't careful, those very worthwhile things can become very dangerous. We can unintentionally idolize:
- Christian Pastors or Speakers
- Spiritual Role Models or Mentors
- Our Spouse or Children
- Our Loyalty to our Job or an Organization (church or para-church entity)
Scripture tells us that an idol is anything that interferes with or takes the place of worship to the one true God. We like to think about those pagans in the Bible that the Children of Israel were always warned to steer clear of, and not inner-marry with, because of their worship to false gods. If we could leave it there, that would be great for us, but idolatry reaches beyond the pagan world and into the world of the believer.
I'd like to throw something out to you that you might have never considered to be an idol. This was my idol for many years. I didn't realize it, but yes, this preacher's daughter turned preacher's wife had an idol -- and I wasn't even aware that it had become an idol. It was an idol that I felt justified in having. It was one that I felt if I could hang on to it for just a little while longer, then it would actually make me a better Christian. That idol was . . .
GUILT
Never heard of that idol before, have you?
Well, stop and think about it. If an idol is anything that takes the place of our worship to God, then my guilt was definitely keeping me from worshipping God with a whole heart. I had allowed guilt and personal unforgiveness to stagnate me in my walk with the Lord.
I had chosen to pine over sins in my life that God had already forgiven me for, but I wasn't able to forgive myself for. I think I felt that the longer I wallowed in my guilt, then God would see how truly repentant I was. This guilt was trapped in my legalistic heart and there wasn't room in there for my idolized guilt, as well as true worship for God.
Like David in the Bible, I felt burdened by the weight of the guilt I carried around. In one of his seven penitential psalms that he wrote, he expressed his state of being like this:
"My guilt has overwhelmed me like a burden too heavy to bear." Psalm 38:4
Do you know what I realized? I was choosing to carry my guilt and that heavy burden. When I realized that I had a choice in the matter, then I realized that I could make the choice to 'not' carry it.
What guilt are you carrying around from past sins that God has already forgiven you for? God doesn't desire for you to wallow in the mire and the muck of your sin. He also doesn't desire for your guilt to interfere with your unhindered worship any longer.
Make the choice today to lay down that burden of guilt. If God has forgiven you for it, it's time for you to offer yourself that same gift. Then, get on to worshipping God with a renewed zeal now that your idol of guilt is out of your way and out of your heart .
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