It is always difficult to see growth as a good thing while we are in the midst of our growing. Growth is almost always painful. Physical growth causes pain in our joints, where the growing is occurring.
Spiritual growth causes us to come face to face with our idolatries, see them for what they are, and learn to despise them. It forces us to give up something that has become so ingrained into our lives that we worship that idol with out even thinking. It forces us out of the comfortable, albeit cramped, little box that we had been living in to cause us to live in a bigger picture of God’s amazing and perfect plan for our lives.
Recently I have been shown some of my idols for what they are. And realizing what they are is only half the battle. I now see the cycle I have gotten myself into, I put the idol on the altar for God to crush, then rush in to pick it back up just before the hammer comes down.
Someone I love dearly asked me “is there a hammer big enough to smash this idol?” I know that there is, we just don’t allow it to do the job it is supposed to have. I am reminded of the scene in Hinds’ Feet on High Places (I need to read that book again) where Much-Afraid has to allow the priest to cut out a weed that is growing in her heart before she can enter the High Places. What if Much-Afraid got to that point then refused the surgery… isn’t that what I am doing with my idols right now?
I know God has a master plan, and it is perfect. I am going to keep calling myself out on the idol cycle, and trust that God will smash that idol. I know there will be a time where I don’t pick the silly thing back up. I managed to (idol) worship myself into this mess, time to worship my creator, and with His help, get out of it.
Spiritual growth causes us to come face to face with our idolatries, see them for what they are, and learn to despise them. It forces us to give up something that has become so ingrained into our lives that we worship that idol with out even thinking. It forces us out of the comfortable, albeit cramped, little box that we had been living in to cause us to live in a bigger picture of God’s amazing and perfect plan for our lives.
Recently I have been shown some of my idols for what they are. And realizing what they are is only half the battle. I now see the cycle I have gotten myself into, I put the idol on the altar for God to crush, then rush in to pick it back up just before the hammer comes down.
Someone I love dearly asked me “is there a hammer big enough to smash this idol?” I know that there is, we just don’t allow it to do the job it is supposed to have. I am reminded of the scene in Hinds’ Feet on High Places (I need to read that book again) where Much-Afraid has to allow the priest to cut out a weed that is growing in her heart before she can enter the High Places. What if Much-Afraid got to that point then refused the surgery… isn’t that what I am doing with my idols right now?
I know God has a master plan, and it is perfect. I am going to keep calling myself out on the idol cycle, and trust that God will smash that idol. I know there will be a time where I don’t pick the silly thing back up. I managed to (idol) worship myself into this mess, time to worship my creator, and with His help, get out of it.
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