Intresting article I thought I'd share with everybody.
Modern Day Idolatry
Elyse Fitzpatrick helps us identify some common idols of the heart:
The struggle with idolatry and deception began with Eve and continues to this day. Eve was deceived into thinking that happiness could be found in disobedience to God. Every time we sin, it�s because we�re deceived too. We foolishly think that happiness is to be found in pursuing the lies that whisper seductively in our heart. We sin because we believe that there�s some happiness to be gained by it. It�s then that our thoughts about happiness become our god. I�m not saying that we�re not fully responsible for our sin because we�re deceived. We are completely culpable for all our sin, because we don�t believe God�s Word and we trust in gods of our own imagination. It�s idolatrous to make our imaginations more important than joyful obedience to the Lord.
Our idolatrous beliefs become evident as we find ourselves habitually sinning in some particular way. I discover, for instance, that I frequently respond in anger when criticized, then I need to consider what idolatrous thought or imagination is at the root of my anger. To do this, I should ask myself the following questions:
�What do I believe about the source of true happiness in this circumstance?
�What do I believe about God in this circumstance?
�What do I believe about myself�my rights, my goals, my desires?
�What am I trusting in?
For instance, in this case, I might answer:
What do I believe about the source of true happiness in this circumstance? I�m believing that happiness can be found only when others respect me. My belief, �I Must Be Respected,� has become my god, and it produces bitter fruit for anyone who dares challenge me.
What do I believe about God in this circumstance? I�m, doubting His character. I believe that He�s not good. I believe that if He were good He would protect me from attack. My desires (I shouldn�t be criticized!) color my appraisal of Him and cause me to seek to remake Him into my image. Why, if He were really good, I think, He would make others treat me the way I want to be treated! Instead of thinking that God isn�t good perhaps I�ll believe that He isn�t powerful. If God were powerful, He could control how others treat me. Do you see how important it is to have a biblical understanding of God�s character?
What do I believe about myself�my rights, my goals, my desires? I believe I have a right to be respected on the job. I think I should never be criticized. Whenever I am criticized, I view myself as a victim of others� wrongdoing. I believe happiness will continue to elude me if people disapprove of me. I ignore the truth that it doesn�t matter who approves of me, or even if I approve of myself (2 Cor 10-18). I believe that it is more important to have others� approval than God�s. Could this be because others are my god?
What am I trusting in? Instead of trusting in God�that He has allowed this difficulty into my life for my good (and ultimate happiness)�I�m trusting that people have the power to make me happy. I need to see my circumstance as God�s gift to open my eyes to my idolatry and free me from it. Instead of getting sinfully angry when I�m criticized, I need to rejoice in God�s faithful discipline (Prov. 25:12).
Are there circumstances in which you find yourself sinning habitually? If so, ask yourself these questions and you�re liable to find sinful thoughts and imaginations at the heart of the problem. This doesn�t negate your responsibility for your sin. All it does is help you to see the reasons for it so you can begin to address the source of the problem at the same time that you work on your outward behavior. Instead of just trying to control my temper when I�m criticized, for instance, I need to understand that the reason I�m angry is because I crave and worship other people�s opinions of me. I need to repent of my thoughts about myself and agree with God that only He is worthy of praise (at the same time that I repent of my sinful anger). .
