Idols

Reality TV- American Idol...A show almost everyone used to watch, nearly no one does anymore. But there is still Dancing with the Stars, the Bachelor and many other reality shows. We HAVE to see it, can't miss it, must talk about it, enamored by it.

Sports- Oh don't get me started on football. I do like football, but it's become a religion of sorts to some. Sunday is football day. Nothing gets in the way of a game, no person, no thing, no illness, nothing. Football, basketball, baseball, soccer, golf, etc. Sports in general are loved by many.

People- boyfriends, girlfriends, husbands, wives. Actors, actresses, musicians, pop stars, models. Even political figures. Everyone has someone they look up to in a way that can almost border on obsessive. We hang them on the wall in adolescence, scream at the top of our lungs when we see them in concert, nearly faint if we can touch the hand of someone or catch their used tshirt. We think so much of someone we may know nothing of.

Things- material things. Items. Clothing, shoes, purses, accessories, sunglasses, hats. More things- tv, stereo, car, decor, art, big houses, more more more. We always need more, but it's not a need it's a want that got mistaken as a need and it becomes an addiction.

Idols.

At first thought, none of those are idols. Maybe movie stars or something like that, but none of those other things are idols, right? They can all be idols. An idol is anything that comes in the way of putting God first. We idolize so many people and so many things and we typically don't even realize it.

Don't even stop there. We often idolize money, power and pleasure too.
Furthermore, we must remember, though there are images of Jesus and representation of Him, those images are not the real thing. We must not idolize an image but remain strong in a relationship with Him.

Idolatry is a sin.

I'm not saying take away football or stop enjoying your favorite actor. I'm not saying sell all your things and never again watch tv. But those things must not come before God. They must never replace God. And we must not look to them in such a way that places them at the same level or higher than God.

We are instructed to put God first, before anyone or anything else. And He will bless us with the desires of our heart. We can't do all these other things, nearly worshiping them or placing others on a pedestal, then cry out to God when we need help, only visit God on Sundays, when it's convenient. We must put God first, always, no matter what show is on tv, no matter what game we will miss by going to church, no matter who is doing what in Hollywood, no matter how much we love our significant other, no matter how much we desire something.

Do not love the world, love the One who created it.

“You shall have no other gods before me.

“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. 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, but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments. 

Exodus 20:3-6

Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them. 1 John 2:15

What do you desire?

There are days I decide I'm not going on my computer... for whatever reason... I need to rest, I have other things to do, I need to take a break from technology, etc. Those most often seem to be the days a topic is placed inside me to write on. Most of the time it passes before I get on the computer, sometimes I write it down to write later. But by the time "writing later" arrives, the energy of that topic has subsided. It all brings me to realize with God's time, the time is now. It doesn't matter what I have planned or don't have planned. If he placed something in my heart, it is my job to carry it through.

So today, I "planned" to rest- watch movies and read some books- all from the library which I stopped at yesterday. I did a lot yesterday and so today I need to rest. That was my plan at least. So I'm watching a movie, "Oblivion" of all things, as well as reading a book someone recommended to me "Chasing Francis" by Ian Morgan Cron. Crazy combination of the two but together they brought about a thought, a topic to write on. I almost let it pass, let it slip away, and then I thought no- there might be someone out there God wants to read this, I have to write it. So I closed my book, turned off the tv, turned on my computer and here I am.

We all have desires... for people, for things, for feelings, for accomplishments. What we desire is what we go after. But will a desire ever be enough? Will any thing or multiple things ever be enough? Will people ever be enough? Will you ever be enough or I ever be enough? Will we ever fill that void we feel with all these things and people? Can we, at any point, say we obtained it? We achieved it? We reached it? And if so what more do we have to go after? If we have nothing left to go after, why are we still living? Are we going after the right thing? Are we living for the right thing? For the right people? Is a desire nothing more than something to keep us going? And therefore is what we desire keeping us going in the right direction?

We want to feel needed, we want to feel wanted, we want to feel like we matter. We want to give and to receive. We want happiness, pleasure, fun, enjoyment, success, enrichment. We want it all, yes as humans we want it all.

Has any human ever had it all? Has any human successfully filled their desires, that void, with people, places, things? And if not, then why not?

I believe at the root of all these desires is the desire for love... to love and to be loved... and everything that falls into the middle. And I believe even if many people realize that the base of their desire is love, that they define it incorrectly and thus end up going after the wrong people and things.

You can define love in so many different ways. But if you look Biblically you find- God is love. So backing up, if the root of all our desires is the desire for love... then the root of all our desires is the desire for God.

We desire God. We need God. Only God can fill that emptiness, that void, that space we desire to be filled.

Deep inside us all is this hole that needs to be filled. We fill it with desires. But none of those worldly desires will ever be enough. No person will ever be enough. I will never be enough for anyone, and no one will ever be enough for me. The only One large enough to fit that space is God.

If we put God first, and always first, He will lead us. He will show us where to go and how to get there. He will lead us to others He wants us to have relationships or friendships with. He will strengthen us. He will equip us.

God works for the good of those who love Him and who have been called to live according to His purpose. Romans 8:28 HIS purpose. Not mine, not yours. HIS.

But seek first His Kingdom and His righteousness and all these things will be given to you as well. Matthew 6:33

So I wrote... I had a slight delay of course as I didn't immediately listen to what was placed inside me, but I can only hope and pray what He wanted me to say came out and reaches the right person, whoever that is out there. After all, we all need to constantly be reminded of this as we struggle to live in His spirit with the desires and surroundings of the flesh. Stay encouraged. Stay focused. Keep your heart set on Him. In His love, God bless.