This is the most important commandment, yet probably also the most looked over, even by Christians, myself included.
God has really opened my eyes lately to this commandment.
There is SO much more to having another God then what people think. Having another God doesn't just mean worshipping a God like Allah, or making little statues to worship. Other "God's" can be as simple as pleasure. That's right, pleasure can be a God to you. Something that you love, something that you'll sin to get. Worship doesn't just mean bowing down to something. It means it's so important to you that you love it.
Something becomes an "Idol" when you love IT more then God. A few months ago my eyes were opened that food was an idol to me. I didn't think I could live the rest of my life with the thought that I may never be able to eat chocolate or cake again. That is exactly WHY it was an Idol to me. If you think you can't live without it, it's an idol, (another God to you).
In the book Idols of the heart she says something that impacted me. She says , "Disobedience springs from the worship of other God's". How true that is. I wouldn't be over eating if I wasn't worshipping food. If I was like my kids, and could care less about food, and only eat when I am told to. (Oh how I wish I will be like that someday!)
God has expanded my wisdom a little further now to understand there are SO many more idols (Gods) then just food for me. Pleasure happens to be another one. I would bet that pleasure is an idol in the majority of people's lives. Most people probably have no idea that it could be a God to them either. We live in such a self centered world, that everyone is always looking out for themselves, and worried if they themselves are happy, how could pleasure not be a God? That's the way the world is. Unfortunately a lot people live by the worlds ways/expectations instead of living by God's. When we become a Christian and accept Jesus as our savior we are called "born again" we are called to "put off" the old person, expected to be a new person and live in the spirit. We are to die to self. That means that self is not number one anymore. It's a hard concept to grasp because the world doesn't look at it like God does. When I get mad at my kids for making a mess, I'm really mad deep down because I have to clean it, and that takes "ease" and "pleasure" away from me. Interesting. So if I act in sin and get angry at my children (or husband) it's because I'm being selfish and thinking about my own pleasure instead of loving others and thinking about theirs. Not saying that I should allow my kids to be pigs but I have to look at WHY I get mad or upset sometimes, more then likely it's something selfish in my own heart. Another God. There are many more things that are God's to us and I'm sure in the coming days God is going to show me more of my idols that I need to get rid of and put him first. I pray that he does show me more because I don't want things like that coming between me and my father, this also helps me to love God more, because I realize more and more how much I don't keep the commandments, and how undeserving I am of salvation. When you use the bible as a mirror for your life it really helps you appreciate what Jesus did for us.
God has really opened my eyes lately to this commandment.
There is SO much more to having another God then what people think. Having another God doesn't just mean worshipping a God like Allah, or making little statues to worship. Other "God's" can be as simple as pleasure. That's right, pleasure can be a God to you. Something that you love, something that you'll sin to get. Worship doesn't just mean bowing down to something. It means it's so important to you that you love it.
Something becomes an "Idol" when you love IT more then God. A few months ago my eyes were opened that food was an idol to me. I didn't think I could live the rest of my life with the thought that I may never be able to eat chocolate or cake again. That is exactly WHY it was an Idol to me. If you think you can't live without it, it's an idol, (another God to you).
In the book Idols of the heart she says something that impacted me. She says , "Disobedience springs from the worship of other God's". How true that is. I wouldn't be over eating if I wasn't worshipping food. If I was like my kids, and could care less about food, and only eat when I am told to. (Oh how I wish I will be like that someday!)
God has expanded my wisdom a little further now to understand there are SO many more idols (Gods) then just food for me. Pleasure happens to be another one. I would bet that pleasure is an idol in the majority of people's lives. Most people probably have no idea that it could be a God to them either. We live in such a self centered world, that everyone is always looking out for themselves, and worried if they themselves are happy, how could pleasure not be a God? That's the way the world is. Unfortunately a lot people live by the worlds ways/expectations instead of living by God's. When we become a Christian and accept Jesus as our savior we are called "born again" we are called to "put off" the old person, expected to be a new person and live in the spirit. We are to die to self. That means that self is not number one anymore. It's a hard concept to grasp because the world doesn't look at it like God does. When I get mad at my kids for making a mess, I'm really mad deep down because I have to clean it, and that takes "ease" and "pleasure" away from me. Interesting. So if I act in sin and get angry at my children (or husband) it's because I'm being selfish and thinking about my own pleasure instead of loving others and thinking about theirs. Not saying that I should allow my kids to be pigs but I have to look at WHY I get mad or upset sometimes, more then likely it's something selfish in my own heart. Another God. There are many more things that are God's to us and I'm sure in the coming days God is going to show me more of my idols that I need to get rid of and put him first. I pray that he does show me more because I don't want things like that coming between me and my father, this also helps me to love God more, because I realize more and more how much I don't keep the commandments, and how undeserving I am of salvation. When you use the bible as a mirror for your life it really helps you appreciate what Jesus did for us.
2 comments:
So true, Amy. Control is a definite idol of mine. I like my life to be under control at all times!
Ouch! Quite the convicting post there:) Thanks for sharing:)
Heaven
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