During my morning 1hr 15min drive to work this morning, I was overjoyed (ok…just “pretty happy”) to find out that I had neglected a conference message on my iPod from CJ Mahaney at New Attitude 2007 on Idolatry. (Click HERE for the MP3)
Needless to say, I had been thinking about idolatry a lot these days…duh…I guess that’s why I’m posting about it.
Also needless to say, there were a few zingers in this message that nearly caused me to slam on the brakes and proceed to slam my forehead into the steering wheel of my trusty G6 in repentance. I immediately took out my trusty iPhone and snagged a few sections, thanks to my trusty Evernote iPhone app.
Here are a few nuggets for your conviction:
Idolatry may well come in the form of an over attachment to something that is in itself perfectly good
Oh. An “over” attachment eh. Like…when I don’t get it…it bothers me?
More to the point of what it really is…
Idolatry is a sinful craving for one of God’s gifts that you want more than God himself.
An idol is something that is within creation that is inflated to function as God. (Richard Keys)
You know the gifts – they could be anything – food, sports, drinks, sex, TV, money…the “usual” list goes on…but what about the “not” so usual list? What’s on that…well…as Pastor Mahaney says “anything that you want more than God himself.”
Anything that I want more than God himself?
Oh.
Other juicy nuggets:
An idol causes you to profess a love for the true and loving God while functionally loving and serving a false god.
And summing it up nicely is Mr. Calvin, whom Pastor Mahaney also quoted:
The evil in our desires usually doesn’t lie in what we want, but that we want it too much (Calvin)
So…how bad do you want [whatever it is].
Do you want it more than God himself?
-M
Mike Ruel 