day 18 devotional- idolatry

Prayer guide book for today talks about Idolatry.

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Scripture: 2 Tim. 3:1-4 (NLT) In the last days there will be very difficult times. For people will love only themselves and their money. They will be boastful and proud, scoffing at God, disobediant to their parents and ungrateful. They will consider nothing sacred. They will be unloving and unforgiving; they will slander others and have no self-control. They will be cruel and hate what is good. They will betray their friends, be reckless, be puffed up with pride, and love pleasure rather than God.

Personal reflection: Idolatry comes in many forms and isn't only a statue or image that we worship as a 'god.' Idolatry is anything that we place above God as a priority in ou lives and minds such as money, success, entertainment, pleasure or pride. There's certainly nothing wrong with having a favorite hobby or sports team. The sin occurs when those things come before God in our lives. Far too many people in our country and in the world have no room for God in their lives because their focus is on the things of this world have no room for God in their lives because their focus is on the things of this world instead of the things of God. Ask God to reveal the idols in your life and to tear down the idols that prevent his people from honoring him first.

Going forward I'm committed to ___________

Additional Scripture Support: Ex. 20:3, 32:4, deut. 8:19, Sam. 15:23, Dan. 5:23, Col. 3:5, 1 John 5:21

Praying through scripture: Matt 6:24, 26, 31-33 (MSG)
Jesus, we know that we can't worship two gods at once. Loving one god, we'll end up hating the other. Adoration of one feeds contempt for the other. We cannot worship both God and money. There is far more to life than the food we put in our stomachs, more to our outer appearance than the clothes we hang on our body. Look at the birds, free and unfettered, careless to the care of God and you count us far more valuable than the birds. Help us relax and not be so preoccupied with getting so that we can respond to your giving. People who don't know you and the way you work worry over these things, but we know you and trust you. Help us fill our lives with God-reality, God-initiative, God-provision and not worry about what we might be missing out on- then we'll find all of our everyday concerns will be met. Amen.

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I so often put other things in front of God. I don't mean to, but sometimes I get so preoccupied with what I'm doing. And then they become my idols. Usually, this is work. I can't say no and so I keep on going and doing more and more and having less and less time to do everything else. Sometimes it's hair, or color, or tv, or knitting, or anything that I run to when I feel bad instead of God. None of these things are horrible, but when I put them as the thing I run to when I'm in need instead of God, they become idols.

I keep this one text message in my phone (let's see if I can embarass my boyfriend) from Sherwin that says "God on top buttercup," and not because he calls me an awkward pet name, but because I always need to reminder that God is top.

And when God is on top, so is love and relationship and moderation and putting forward 100%- and everything I always strive to accomplish anyways- but suddenly it's bearable and organized. and it makes sense.

Going forward, I'm committed to constantly reminding myself that God is top. Because when God is top, everything else is so much better.