About 20 years ago, I had a major issue with idol-worship. I worshiped numbers of all kinds. The numbers included how much I weighed; how much I lost; how much I gained; my clothing size; my calorie intake; how many times I ate eat day; etc. My idol was body image. I placed my value and worth on how I looked and how thin I was. But the sad truth…I was never satisfied.
So what is idolatry?
According to Webster’s Dictionary, idolatry is “the worship of a physical object as a god”.
According to Lexham Bible Dictionary, the definition is a bit more specific. Idolatry is “the worship of images made to represent Yahweh (God) or other deity.”
The Old Testament is filled with stories of the Israelites, God’s chosen people, worshiping many “little g” gods and objects. They worshiped these objects over the “big G” God who saved them and rescued them multiple times from oppression due to their sins. God knew we would struggle with idolatry. Not only did God know this would be a problem, but He warned the people of Israel of this obstacle by placing laws against it in the Ten Commandments in Exodus 20. Clearly stating idolatry as a sin, and they needed to guard against it.
The first two Commandments focus on idolatry…
Commandment #1: You shall have no other gods before me.
Commandment #2: (a bit longer) You shall not make for yourself an image in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. 5 You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, 6 but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments.
So what does this mean for us today?
Most of us don’t see Asherah poles or golden calves nearby. Asherah poles were wooden poles or trees used to worship the fertility god in the Old Testament. (1 Kings 14:15) Coincidentally, the golden calf was made by the Israelites during the time that Moses was on the mountain to receive the Ten Commandments from God. (Exodus 32) What are our gods or our idols today? They are anything or anyone we put before God in our trust and worship. This may include money, title, shopping, body image, status, pornography, technology, sex, beauty, etc.
Our idols enslave us because they never really fulfill what we desire such as security, comfort, peace, joy, contentment, love, etc. We seek and seek and seek needing more and more and more of these false gods. They may help us for a moment, but then the “high” is gone. And we are after more to get the feeling back. But God does not just offer us feelings. He offers us a state of being in our souls that is a “spring of water welling up to eternal life”. (John 4:13-14)
How does God offer us true life and peace as our one and only God?
The simple answer: through His Son Jesus.
God had to judge us for our sin, not only in creating idols above Him but also for all of our sin. There had to be a consequence. And in His judgement rather than putting the consequences on us …the ones who deserved them…God placed his judgement on His own perfect Son through death on the cross in order to offer us grace and forgiveness. We only need to confess our sin and turn to Jesus as our Savior. God will be faithful and offer us forgiveness and complete fulfillment of our needs…”a spring of water welling up to eternal life” . (1 John 1:9, John 3:16, John 4:13-14)
No words are able to express the gratitude I have for the forgiveness and healing I received from Jesus after repenting from my sin of idol worship in body image. Jesus met me in the depths of the pit of my own making. He filled me in a way that was not possible by any other means. Thank you, Jesus, for your promises and your faithfulness when I come to you as my Lord.
QUESTIONS TO PONDER: (Please share in the Comments below.)
What are your idols?
How are these idols falling short of the fulfillment that you are seeking?
Take a moment to have a conversation with God about your deepest desires and ask God to meet you where you are to find true contentment, fulfillment and hope. I, too, am praying for you to find your peace and contentment through the love and forgiveness of Jesus.
PRAYER:
Abba, Father. You are our Creator, our Maker. There is nothing we have done or will do that is a surprise to You. You know us completely and You know our struggles. Thank You, Lord, for Your grace and forgiveness. Thank You for the ultimate sacrifice You made for us out of Your love for us. Lord, give us the wisdom to identify our idols and give us the strength to repent for them. Help us to remember and to place our worship in You alone knowing that only You are able to fulfill the deepest desires of our hearts and souls. Thank You, Jesus. Amen.
Have you ever found something that you did not realize you had lost? That happened to me last week. I was looking for a t-shirt to wear with some of my comfy pants since I was going to be home most of the day. I wanted to feel like I was in pajamas without actually looking like I was in pajamas. So I was digging through a bin on the bottom of my closet where I kept my t-shirts. And out of the deepest depths of the bin, I felt a super soft, cozy, t-shirt. “Hmmm…intriguing…which one is this?” I said to myself. And as the other shirts seemed to part like the Red Sea, it was as if my closet was filled with the sounds of trumpets celebrating the lost t-shirt that was now found! It was one of my very favorites shirts! Until that moment, I did not know I had misplaced it. I forgot I even owned it.
A few days after finding my t-shirt, I was listening to 2 Kings 22 on the The Bible In A Year podcast (with Fr. Mike Schmitz). King Josiah of Judah was taking steps to have the Temple repaired. King Josiah put the high priest Hilkiah in charge of the efforts. At some point Hilkiah found the Book of the Law in the Temple…maybe even in the deepest depths of a bin in the bottom of a closet! Soon after finding the Book of the Law, the secretary to the King read the book to King Josiah. The king was devastated over the words in the Book of the Law for he knew the people of Judah, and their ancestors, did not follow the LORD’s covenant requirements.
It appears that King Josiah and the priests did not realize they had lost the Book of the Law. They may not have known that it existed. The Book was a guide on how to live within the covenant with God. There may have been great joy when they found the Book and at the same time the king was filled with much sorrow as shown by the tearing of his clothes. The king was enlightened to the separation that was created with God due to their current behavior that did not aligned with God’s demands based on this newly found treasure. However, King Josiah believed the Law and he acted faithfully with a repentant and humble heart. God responded to King Josiah by showing mercy on him due to his conviction.
How many times have I “lost” the Word of God? How many times have I ignored the commands on righteous living? Maybe I have gone days or weeks or more without picking up my Bible to read and to process His Word. I know there have been many times when I have followed my own desires rather than what God may be calling or directing me to do. In these times, I have lost my guide…or ignored it. But even after I have lived for myself and my selfish desires, when I have realized my sin and error, when I have humbled myself and sought the forgiveness of my Lord, He has responded. He has forgiven me. He has reminded me that I am His child and He will welcome me home. He will show mercy on me…on us…when we come to Him with a repentant heart and accept him as our Savior. Jesus died for our sins…all of our sins…no matter how big or small.
I was giddy when I found my t-shirt. But the giddiness that I felt in finding that small treasure is nothing compared to the joy I feel when I “find” the Word of God and His promises to us. Whether I have stepped away for a week, a day, or an hour, I am filled to overflowing. His Word has the power to show us a path to forgiveness through Christ, to provide us all with a guide to right-living, and to fill us with joy regardless of our circumstances.
QUESTIONS TO PONDER: Please share your thoughts in the Comments Box!
Have you ever found an item important to you that you did not realize you had lost?
How did you feel when you found it?
What treasures (or verses) have you “found” in the Bible that have spoken to you in such a way that you felt they were meant for you?
PRAYER: Abba, Father. Thank you for the reminder of how blessed we are to have Your Word at our fingertips. Your love letter to us is one of our most valued treasures. You have filled it with words of wisdom…to guide us, to nurture our spirits, to lead us to you when we are troubled, and to show us the path to forgiveness and eternity with you. Thank you, Jesus, for the sacrifice you made for our sins and the gift of Your precious Word that we find in the Bible. Amen.
I was having lunch with a friend of mine this week who recently wrote a book called Finding Your YES. We were talking about our callings and how God is working in our lives. She had commented that she has so many ideas to expand her reach for God’s Kingdom through her ministry, but there wasn’t enough time in the day to do all she wanted and dreamed of doing. I had to laugh a bit. I told her that I had felt a similar drive at various times in my life. But, currently, I am in a season of REST. God has shown me over the last year and a half that YES…He has asked me serve Him and His children on this new journey and season of my life. And YES…I have responded to His call in my life to support, encourage, and share with others the love of Christ . But also, YES…I have heard God inviting me and showing me I need to REST, too. The most difficult decisions for me in saying YES to rest are saying NO to many other opportunities that are important to me…but those may not be the best opportunities for me, at this time.
“Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give your rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
When we study REST in the Bible, I specifically relate to two types of rest.
PHYSICAL REST: Physical rest in scripture is the provision God has made for us to have time and take time to rest our bodies. We need to cease our work to replenish our physical strength and health.
“And He said to them, ‘Come away by yourselves to a desolate place and rest a while.’ For many were coming and going, and they had no leisure even to eat.”
SPIRITUAL REST: Spiritual rest is our need to find peace and soul-food by the relationship, comfort and love we experience when we spend time with God. To let go of our control and let God take control of our lives… to trust and have faith in Him.
“For God alone, O my soul, wait in silence, for my hope is from Him. He only is my rock and my salvaiton, my fortress; I shall not be shaken. On God rests my salvation and my glory; my mighty rock, my refuge is God. Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your heart before Him; God is a refuge for us.”
“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.”
When we are burdened, it is not enough to just take a nap, although that may be needed too. Our burdens often include a spiritual fever that requires us to slow down and create margin in order to spend time with our Savior. For only through the power of God, His Son Jesus, and the Holy Spirit in us are we able to replenish our souls to find peace and joy in all circumstances. This type of rest and time with God allows us to put our trust in Him and to develop a deeper relationship with Him, which breaks the chains and burdens of believing we have to do it all on our own. Both types of rest are often needed for us to truly feel released from our toils and replenished in our strength and health.
Christine reminded me that in order to say YES to God to serve Him, we also must say NO to other things. Or to say it differently, we must say NO to certain requests of our time and resources in order to have the time and resources to say YES to God’s calling and nudges in our lives. This is a blessing to say YES to God. To give ourselves margin to be available to respond to the quiet whispers of His voice when He nudges us. Make space for Him, my Friends. Have courage to say NO, so you may have the freedom to say YES for the better choices and YES to rest whether it is a much needed nap or a time of solitude and silence with our Lord.
QUESTONS TO PONDER:
What do you do when you feel that you need physical or spiritual rest?
How has God nudged you to slow down and spend some quiet time with Him so he may give you a peace that is beyond our understanding?
When did you last wrestle with the lies from the enemy that tell you to keep going, to stay busy, to say YES whenever you are asked to help with something? What did that look like and how did you respond?
What action or choice can you do next to say YES to the invitation of rest… to be replenished in the arms of Jesus for your physical and spiritual health.
What decision are you able to make today to let go of your need to do it all on your own and say YES to put your trust in God?
Abba, Father. You are a merciful and loving God. Help me to present my body and spirit to you as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to you through my actions and decisions. Let my choices for the better YES be an act of worship to You. Help me resist the urge to conform to this world, the pressures of society and my own selfishness, but remind me that I am transformed to a new creation in Jesus Christ. I know you have renewed my mind and soul. Help me to discern what is your will so I may respond YES to you. I desire to do what is good, acceptable and perfect in your eyes, Lord. In Jesus name. Amen.
Hello, Friends! I was talking with a friend of mine over coffee today. She shared a story about how several years ago she felt the Holy Spirit nudging her to crochet prayer shawls for charity. She ignored it at first thinking she really did not want to take on this task. But the nudge kept returning and she decided to go for it. She focused her first efforts to provide shawls for our church’s care center. But then she realized that she felt more strongly about making them for family, friends, and neighbors who could use a bit of comfort and encouragement. One dear friend of hers who was in a nursing home due to the side effects of her cancer was a blessed recipient. During one of their visits, her friend shared why she felt blessed to have received this shawl. She shared that whenever she felt discouraged or alone or hurting in her circumstances, she would wrap that shawl around herself and it reminded her that Jesus is with her and also wrapping her with His love. She felt the love of my friend whose hands made the shawl and the love of her Savior whose hands made her.
Our Lord and God has called us to encourage one another. This may look differently for each of us depending on our gifts, talents and relationships. It may be making a prayer shawl for a friend, or praying over them in a difficult time, or showing up at their home to say HELLO and that you missed them, or sending a cheerful note, or picking up the phone to tell someone how loved they are just the way they are…that they are never alone…that you want to walk life with them.
“Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.”
Jesus modeled for us how we are able to help and show encouragement to one another. Three of the areas that He modeled are as follows:
He showed us to be other-centered and not self-centered. Throughout scripture, Jesus focused on the soul health, physical health, and deep love of those around Him. He was in the moment with His followers and all the people He met. He looked people in the eye, touched those who were not to be touched, and spoke to those with whom no one else would speak to provide them with encouragement and hope. (See examples, “Jesus and the Woman Caught in Adultery”, John 7:53-8:11 NIV; “Jesus heals a Man with Leprosy”, Matthew 8:1-4 NIV; “Jesus Talks With a Samaritan Woman”, John 4:1-42 NIV).
Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins.”
He pointed us the power and love of God. God loves us so much that He sent His Son to die for us. Jesus experienced the death that belonged to each of us due to our sin which separated us from God. God also told us to love others the way He loved us (John 15:12 ESV). Jesus was our example of what love looked like. Jesus showed us that love was to serve others, not be served.
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. “
He demonstrated the power of faith. Before Jesus was arrested, he went to a place called Gethsemane to pray. He was deeply distressed about his upcoming arrest and death for He knew what was coming. He asked God to spare him yet He submitted to God’s will. Jesus believed and knew that God’s plan will be fulfilled. Jesus demonstrated that when we have faith in God and submit to His plan, all things are possible! Just as Jesus was raised from the dead to overcome sin, God can and will do great things in us when we are faithful to Him.
“His master said to him, “Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little, I will set you over much. enter into the joy of your master.”
We all need support and encouragement from our Circle of Friends and family. We often lose perspective on the abilities, strengths, and uniqueness that we have been given by our Creator God. Or we become too busy and overwhelmed to live intentionally but function in a state of frenzy by reacting day-to-day to whatever comes our way. When we lose sight of ourselves and who God made us to be as well as the purpose He made us to serve, the words of encouragement and support from others help us to slow down and refocus. Encouragement from others boosts our confidence to continue to lean into our calling or face our circumstances with a renewed perspective…a reminder that we are not alone. Not only do we have a Circle of Friends to support us when we are weak, but our Holy God is also with us.
QUESTIONS TO PONDER:
How does it make you feel when someone does something unexpected for you?
When was the last time you provided support or encouragement to a friend, neighbor or family member? How did they respond?
Who do you know who needs encouragement or support right now? Take a moment to reach out to them. You may change the course of their life by showing them they are not alone!
I heard it said once that we are denying others the ability to serve when we say, “No,” to their offer to help us. We do not have to live alone. We may ask for and accept the support of others in whatever form. And we may give the same blessing to those around us who also need help and encouragement.
PRAYER:
Abba, Father. Your love for us is amazingly beautiful and unconditional. Thank you for demonstrating that love in your Son Jesus, our Savior. You have asked us to encourage one another. Help us to keep our eyes open for the needs of others. Help us to take our attention off of ourselves and our own circumstances to see and react to the needs of those around us. Help us to trust in you and have faith in you that we too will be served in our time of need. Thank you Jesus for your example of service and encouragement and love. Amen.
I heard this song You’re Worth It by Cimorelli for the first time yesterday, May 24, 2022. (Thank you, Spotify playlist Happy Mix!) It brought both tears to my eyes and joy in my heart. The songs states so many areas where we have allowed our value and worth to be defined and degraded by lies from the enemy. Here is a sample of the lyrics:
“You are not your makeup, not your clothes,
an anonymous face that no one knows.
You’re not a skin color, a pretty face,
The number of inches around your waist.
There’s so much that you’ve been through that nobody knows.
So many things you never show.
You are more than labels,
More than pain.
Baby, you’re more than your mistakes
And you’ve got something to say…”
I struggled for years with feeling “not enough”, regretting my mistakes and comparing myself to others. I remember in elementary school comparing my hair and body type to other girls as we gradually and unevenly reached puberty. I remember in junior high comparing myself to other girls regarding body weight, athleticism and whether or not we had had our first kiss. I remember in high school and college comparing myself to others regarding boyfriend status, academics, sports, body weight, personality, number of friends, and more. For too many years I wasted time and tears on these comparisons. It seemed the older I got the more qualities I found to compare.
So why do we feel we are not worthy?
Body image issues
“Not enough” syndrome
Defined by past mistakes or regrets
Unforgiveness towards ourselves and others
Low self esteem and self doubt
Past trauma or abuse
Defined by our stuff
We feel unknown, invisible
Defined by our physical appearance or performance – skin color, hair, height, weight, abilities, ranking, score contributor, grades, etc.
Feel free to add to this list!
The self doubt and low self-esteem lead me to doubt the value of myself and my worth in all the areas above. I would say to myself, “Why am I here?”; “What do I have to offer?”; “She is so much better.”; “I cannot compare.”; “No one will like me like they like her.”; etc. And the crazy thing is that it likely other girls and women were saying the same thing about me. It was a dialogue that the enemy loves for us to have on repeat. The enemy wants us to live in this area of “not enough”. For if we feel we are “not enough” then we will never see ourselves as capable of anything profound and we especially will not see ourselves as warriors for God’s Kingdom. Do I hear an AMEN? Does anyone resonate with this thinking?
My, Sweet Friends. The next lyrics in this song are so powerful and so true. This is what made me feel joy!! Our Savior Jesus is shouting these words to us too and celebrating us in them. Read and HEAR them now:
“When will you realize?
Baby, you’re worth it.
You don’t have to do anything to earn it.
Baby, you’re perfect.
You deserve it.
When will you see what I see
And realize you’re worth it?”
We ARE enough. We ARE worthy. We DO have value. We ARE known. WE ARE LOVED beyond anything we can imagine. When you feel doubt of your own value, when you hear the lies of the enemy whispering in your ear, I urge you to rebuke him with the Truth of God’s Word. To shout out loud, if it helps, to silence the lies and rest in the light of the Truth.
You do not have to stay in the pit, my Friends. Let’s crawl out together! Arm in arm! Let’s help ourselves, our sisters, our friends, our daughters, our tweens and teens, and anyone struggling with their value and worth. This is not just a girl-thing. This is a humanity-thing. Our boys and men struggle too and we need the Truth of Jesus to set us free!! We are stronger together. The enemy has already been defeated by the blood of Christ so let’s not give him any ground to slow us down.
Amen, Sweet Circle of Friends!! And, “YES!!! WE ARE WORTH IT!” Thank you, Jesus.
A humorous quote that I have heard many times is that “If we want to hear God laugh, we only need to tell Him our plans.” We so often think we are in control of our lives. So many of the self-help books and modern day quotes enforce this fallacy…for example:
“No one has power over you unless you give it to them, you are in control of your life and your choices decide your own fate.” Anonymous
“If you don’t like the situation you are in, change it. You are in control of your own life.” Anonymous
“You control you.” Anonymous
and SO MANY MORE!!
However, as a Christ follower, I know that the true control in my life is through God when I am submitting to His will. I am not saying that I do not have free will. Clearly, I do… as seen when I examine the poor decisions that I have made throughout my life and the resulting painful outcomes. I know God would not have lead me to some of the places I have gone! However, I do believe that God is able to redeem my life and my poor choices. He will use my life for the good of His kingdom. When I choose Him, he will lead me to the path that He has laid out for me. And my experiences and poor decisions, the trials that I have endured by my own choices, He is able, willing, and delighted to bring beauty from the ashes. He will use all my story to equip me for the journey He has for me. There is nothing that I have done that will surprise him. He is omniscient…He knows all things. I do not need to hide from Him. I may be my true self and He will accept me. And He is willing to work with all the outcomes of my life due to my own choices towards the good of His kingdom. A few of the scripture verses that I choose to remember and hold as Truth regarding God’s control in my life as as follows:
“It is the Lord who goes before you. He will be with you; he will not leave you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed.” Deuteronomy 31:8
“He refreshes my soul, He guides me along the right paths for his names’ sake.” Psalm 23:3
“Many are the plans in a man’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails.” – Proverbs 19:21
“He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.” – Colossians 1:17
Thank you, Jesus!! You are my God and my strength. You lead me in paths of righteousness for Your purpose. (Psalm 23:1-3) I desire to submit to you. I have hope because I know you will make right the things that I have done wrong. All of my poor decisions will be redeemed by You as my Lord and Savior.
REFLECTION:
What choices have you made in your life that you are not proud of?
Have you given these to God? If not, why not, my Friend?
Have you confessed your sin to Him and accepted His forgiveness?
We are saved, my Friends, by the grace and mercy of our Lord Jesus. Not by our works. “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.” (Ephesians 2:8-9)We will never be good enough on our own to redeem our story. But God desires this most of all. That we come running to Him in faith, and He will have His arms open wide to accept us just as we are. To shed light in the darkest parts of our heart. He will hold us and comfort us as we pour out our hearts to him in repentance. He will wipe our tears away and adorn us in white by cleansing all our sin. (Isaiah 1:18)
Live no longer, my Friends, in the chains of bondage from sin. Break free. Rejoice. Praise our Lord. For He is waiting for us to come to Him, and He freely gives us the forgiveness we desire. Let this be your next free choice! Ask for forgiveness, and it will be given to you when we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior.
“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” 1 John 1:9
PRAYER: Lord, our Father, we praise your name as our Redeemer and our Lord. You offer us freedom from bondage. You offer us a better path. You are willing and able to redeem our story as we submit control of our lives to your capable hands. Lord, help us to submit to you. To confess our sin to You. To seek your guidance. To choose You! And as a result of choosing You, we also choose joy! Amen.
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