“Your functional
god competes with your professed God.” -David Powlison, Seeing With New Eyes
It is astonishing how many functional gods are
vying for the throne which should belong solely to the Living God. When I am
overcome by anxiety, I am allowing my functional god of security and control to
rule rather than the God that I profess to be sovereign. When I have problems
forgiving someone, I am worshipping the god of self and rights rather than the
God that I profess to have forgiven my own sin. This is a real problem, because
if I’m honest, I see that my heart is more engaged with functional gods than it
is with the God Who is to be worshipped alone.
I have served the idol of marriage by prizing it
more than the God Who calls me His bride. I have served the idol of reputation
by worrying about what people think of me rather than being concerned with my
standing in the eyes of God. I have served the idol of earthly wisdom by
putting it above the Word of the One who knows all things. I have served the
idol of escapism by turning to books, food, and temporal pleasures rather than
turning to the God that I profess to be my refuge. With such an infestation of
idols, it’s hard to imagine that there’s any room left for God.
I’ve been convicted to repent of these idols. Of
course, that doesn’t mean that my heart is idol free and I can go on living a
godly life without a care. Where one idol is cast out, another is quick to fill
the void! The process of sanctification involves a breaking down of idols daily
as they are exposed in our heart. We need to “cast them out” in repentance and
put God in His rightful place in our hearts. This isn’t a one-time thing, but
an ongoing process!
What idols are YOU holding on to?
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