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Idol of the Heart
by Chris Gambrell This week I began reading through the book of Jeremiah, and as I was reading the second chapter, a haunting feeling began to overwhelm me. God is presenting His case against Israel through Jeremiah because they rebelled and forgotten God by following idols, After all that was said Israel denied everything. As I was reading this, I couldn't help but think a lot about idols, not as most think of idols, but the source from which they come, the heart. I always have heard that the heart wants what the heart wants, but what does it want? We spend a great deal of our time fixating on getting things that we believe we must have, but once that desire comes into being we begin to worry we won't be able to obtain it, or worthy of it or it will be taken from us. Our lives become caught up on the fact that nothing is more important than that desire. These things struggle with God for our attention. Worry is a abundant fuel in our idolatry. Whenever we worry, we are choosing to worry based on past judgments we have made about wanting to have control of circumstances in our life. These judgments are usually formed and then justified inwardly by fears we have experienced. As a result, instead of trusting God, we come to depend on worry as we try to manage life situations. Our worrying becomes a form of self-reliance, which replaces trusting God. Whenever we are trusting worry more than trusting God, we are no longer worshiping Him; we are worshiping worry. In Matthew 6:25-34, Jesus explains the characteristics of a disciple. The loyalty of a disciple cannot be divided. You can only really have one master; God is your master, or He is not; you are serving Him, or you are not, there is no middle ground in this. Jesus frames this principle by addressing worry. Particularly, Jesus is addressing the problem of worry as idolatry really meaning, serving your worries and anxieties, rather than serving God. Verse 24 ends with a very clear distinction: "You cannot serve God and money." Although, money is stated, the following verse explains the use of that money. Back then, money went towards food, drink, and clothes much like today. They were real needs and real issues that the disciples faced in their lives and worry for these things seem reasonable enough. Jesus, however, tells his disciples not to worry. Easier said than done, - that is, until you know who God is. Jesus continues to explain the unbelievable provisions of the Father. He feeds the birds in abundance; He is the one who clothes the lilies so luxuriously. Jesus adds, making a point to show how much more precious people are to God than the birds of the air and the lilies of the field. If He takes care of these things, Jesus makes the points out that surely the Father will provide even more for the needs of the creatures made in His own image. God knows what you need. Nevertheless, these needs are secondary, they are never the main thing; God is. Jesus says, " Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need." What do you treasure most? Is it Christ? If not, then worry will rule your life as you are living for all the wrong things and doing what you do for all the wrong reasons. A life that is dominated by the idols of the heart does not focus on God and a consequence of that idolatry is the darkness of chronic worry. Article Source: http://www.faithwriters.com |