This is a great book that really helps break down what the 4 big idols are. I have not read this yet.
I thought first I would dive into what the 4 main idols are specifically
1. POWER
-Life is worth living and I only have value when I have influence, recognition, and fame
-Your greatest fear is humiliation
-Deep desire to be very important in the future
How can you repent? You are truely content in knowing you are important to God, recognition belongs to God and not to self Matthew 23:11
2. CONTROL
-Only content and happy and at peace if you are able to get mastery in your life in a certain area OR if things are according to your plans or desires
-You typically do your child's school projects
-Struggle to let husband lead
-If anything threatens the future of your children
-You obsess
How can you repent? When stuff is chaotic you don't have fear. Trust in God. He is soverign and He is in control. Say I trust you today. God is over your schedule. Matthew 6:31-33, Proverbs 3:5-6 (This was my grandmoms fav passage!)
3. COMFORT
-Avoid stress and difficulty
-Not content, not at peace, not happy
-Run first to food, alcohol, TV, sex
How can you repent? Ask yourself if the motivations of your heart are pure? Run to Jesus first. If I am poor for the rest of my life then I am okay with that. Money is a resource to advance the kingdom, not my lifestyle. Singles-choose to value his/her holiness over your own satisfaction Psalm 16:11
4. APPROVAL
-I'm not content or at peace unless I am loved or accepted by a person or people
-One negative comment ruins your day
How can I repent? When someone doesn't like you it doesn't ruin your day b/c you are resting in the gospel
An idol is a created thing that we use to fill something that is eternal. There are TWO ways he sets you free from idolatry:
1. God will not let you have that thing that you have made an idol. Turn your eyes. He is enough for you!
2. God will give you everything you've ever made an idol to prove to you it will never be enough. Don't pursue things that don't have the ability to meet your needs.
Hollywood comes to mind when I think about #2. They have all the fame and fortune in the world and they end up empty, searching, and desperate to fill the hole.
Right now I have been praying specifically over my idols of control (the typical mommy idol!) and approval. Really, why do I obsess about the future. I don't want my children to experience the hurts in this life. I can pray over them and we can do our best to train them, but ultimately they will make mistakes. As for approval, this is a hard one but if someone doesn't like me than I should be okay in knowing that it really doesn't matter. Oh, and did I mention I occassionally have a comfort idol? How did I miss this one...lol. It is VERY easy for me to run to food when I need comfort. A coke, a big bowl of blue bell ice cream...I truely believe at the moment that these things will satisfy me.
I am in no way free from my idolatry, but I will say that I can see just in the last 4 weeks God is growing me in this area in a big, big way.
I have a really awesome video I'm going to post this week of someone very famous (at least in Austin) talking about his idol. It is sooo good, so stay tuned!
Love to you all.
No comments:
Post a Comment