What happened?
Some of you may be wondering what happened to yesteday’s post. A few have been faithful blog browsers and truth seekers. You know that there has been a post every day, 365/year, for a long, long time – over 20 years (3 years since this blog started and many years prior via text messages, WhatsApp, etc.).
Idols of the heart
Over the years I have heard people speak and read about the Biblical teaching on idols of the heart. But after receiving Biblical counseling recently, I was humbled so that the Spirit could work in my heart. I was introduced a series by Brad Bigney about identyfying and dealing with idols of the heart. It hit me square between the eyes.
In the process of dealing the the primary idol that was affecting key relationships, I discovered that we don’t just have one idol, we actually have many. Brad defines them as, “Anything or Anyone that begins to Capture our Hearts and Minds and Affections more than God. It’s living on substitutes. It’s exchanging the one true living God for a counterfeit.” The late Timothy Keller describes them in the quote below as, “[Any] good things that are turned into ultimate things.”
For me, if you can believe it, this blog was becoming and idol. Yes, its a good thing, a godly thing that benefits me and others. But the (false) expectation that I must keep posting 365 days a year was becoming a trap. So yesterday, the Sabbath, I decided it won’t be an idol, so no post.
Update
Update 11/20/2023: For those of you who have been following faithfully, thank you. You’ve noticed that, as today, I don’t post on Sundays (US time) so I can enjoy rest, take a Sabbath. Of course we don’t need to rest from studying God’s or sharing it with others. For me, as I noted above, it’s the “pressure” of “having to” do it that can cause anxiety and steal peace; it can interfere with rest. Rather, I choose to open the Word and read for fun. Pick a passage, a Proverb, a Psalm and read to enjoy it, enjoy the conversation. It’s refreshing!
RЯeflection
- What’s your idol? I encourage you to humble yourself (1 peter 5:6-7), set aside some time (at least an hour), read and think and pray Psalm 139:23-24, then watch the first video. Consider downloading the notes and follow along. Then respond when the Spirit works in your heart!
