So if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don't fall! No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful: he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.
- Paul (1 Corinthian 10:12-13)
The lady’s Bible study group at church just started Kelly Minter’s “No Other Gods, and I mean we literally. Just. Started. I’m on day 1 week 1. Coincidentally, in an unrelated decision, I started the book of Jeremiah, as it was the last book on my Bible reading plan for 2023- which I obviously didn’t get finished. Well, put day 1 of “No Other Gods” with Jeremiah 1-11 and cue sucker punch. It’s as if the Lord’s trying to get my attention or something! Idolatry: what are those things that entice my heart, my time, my affections from my Savior?
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Therefore, my time needed to start by first asking God to
reveal those idols in my heart. I won’t be so naïve to think this process of
idol identification and confrontation will be easy. Although, it will be a
necessary task for growth as God’s people and keeping our hearts in check.
Remember, Jeremiah’s words weren’t directed at pagan nations but at God’s
people. It’s easy for our generation to be disconnected from the term idolatry.
I doubt any of us have golden calves sitting on our fireplace mantles beckoning
us to kneel, but how many of us prostrate ourselves at the altar of acceptance,
reputation, financial security, youth, recognition, schedules (this is getting
personal)? How many of us have hearts enticed away from our Savior by success, sports,
screens, work, children, busyness, materialism, or dare I say the church? As
much as it hurts to admit, Jeremiah 1:16 hit me hard.
We often like to use nice words in Christian circles to
soften realities, as though this somehow makes our sins more palatable. The
truth is, when our hearts and attentions are consumed by anything other than
our Lord we are “forsaking our first love” and Jer. 1:16 terms this wickedness.
Ouch. I’m uncomfortable just writing
this, as I realize it may be offensive. But, well…. shouldn’t we find our own
sin offensive? We may not immediately confess with our tongues we are forsaking
the Lord, but what do our lives and calendars say? Some of our idols in and of
themselves are not bad things; they are often very good minus our unhealthy
preoccupation with them.
Then, to even further our (ok, my) discomfort Jeremiah 2:5
says (again, to God’s people) “they followed worthless idols and became
worthless themselves”. Worthless here could also mean meaningless, futile,
vain, or empty. Do we really want to rely on empty things to fill us up,
meaningless things to give our lives meaning? Do we realize in doing so our
ministries and spiritual growth are paralyzed?
Just as the people in Jeremiah’s day forsook the Living
Water by chasing after meaningless gods, so do we. It’s mind boggling to me
that I (we) have access to “the living water”, yet we walk away or allow our
hearts to be enticed by stagnant, murky, downright toxic water. Oh, we’re
fickle people at times! Why do we fool ourselves into thinking our thirst will
be quenched with such filth? Jeremiah was addressing a culture saturated with
idolatry, and yet, as 2:35 says, “In spite of all this you say: I’m innocent. I
have not sinned”. Paul’s words in 1
Corinthians 10:12-13 echo caution applicable to them and us- reminding us that
the temptation towards idolatry and the defense of such spans the generations.
I dare say it would be foolish of us as modern believers to deny temptation to
do the same.
Have we, as found in Jeremiah 3, prostituted ourselves, our
churches, to the ways of this world? Are we having an affair of the heart,
forsaking our first love? What stills me, what silences my weak excuses is amid
this infidelity God still calls to his people just as he did in Jeremiah 3. He
beckons a return. Over and over, he beckons us back to his loving embrace.
It is to our own detriment we pursue idols, but God’s
warning and invitation back to himself is a testimony of his compassion. He is
jealous for our affections- not because he is weak or needy, but because he is
deserving. Our faithless and fickle hearts are found and fostered by and for
our faithful father. (Say that seven times as fast as you can!) Idols are
merely commotion clamoring for our attentions, promising to meet our heart’s
cry, yet they are tragically deceptive.
Words like fools, senseless, and without understanding are
used to describe Jeremiah’s audience in their chase of idols. They failed to
remember God’s work for them. He was (and still is) active in the lives of his
people offering rest, hope, peace, and contentment. Conversely our idols only
exhaust us in our pursuit of them. All the while the God of the universe is
passionately pursuing us. Just as Paul restated in 1 Corinthians 10, hope is
found in the repentance of our idolatrous hearts. It won’t often, likely ever,
be easy but we must actively battle against this temptation of idolatry. God is
full of grace and mercy as exhibited in scripture, but if we think he doesn’t
take our idolatry seriously we need to plant ourselves back in said scripture.
There is no room for passiveness, or else the consequences threaten to destroy
us and our testimonies. The fight can be wearisome, but Jeremiah 6:16 reminds
us God offers rest for our battle-weary souls. I suspect you and I would echo
one another in saying the things we chase outside our Savior, the things to
which we find ourselves unhealthily attached, give us anything but rest.
The further I read in Jeremiah the more I realize we/I may
have more in common with his audience than comfort and pride allow admitting.
We may earnestly say with our mouths we worship ONLY God, but worship is more
than lip service. It’s actions- a way of living (Jeremiah 7). It’s often a
gradual dethroning/re-throning process. Generally, we don’t suddenly awaken one
day and say, “you know what? I’m feeling like I’d like to misdirect my worship
today.” Instead, it’s often initiated as a compromise in our hearts. One
(seemingly) small compromise leads to another; until we find ourselves prostrate
before and slave to [insert what consumes us]. Naturally, we justify it,
sometimes even with spiritual sounding language. But when “truth has perished,
vanished from our lips (Jeremiah 7:28)” idolatry and disobedience are oft our
companions.
Further, what I’m realizing is we’ve got to deal with this
now, sisters: not tomorrow, not after we’ve done [XYZ-insert self-justification].
In addition to robbing God of something which is due only him and deluding
ourselves to our own detriment: future generations (our children) are
not left unscathed by our idolatrous hearts. We are raising and living before
future generations of Christ followers. To what or whom do we want them to see
us cling? Will they see us moving from one thing to another looking to fill a
void only God can fill? Or will they see us rest in the Father’s pursuit of us?
Will we leave a legacy of pride or one of humility? Will they remember hearts
devoted only to God or hearts amorous for the culture, riding the fence
of compromise? Will they see us offer little resistance as we crumble beneath
the weight of our idols, or will they see us fight with the power of the Holy
Spirit to keep our altar free from anything but our Savior? Will they see us
giving empty answers and justifications? Or will they see us asking the hard
questions and examining our hearts and lives? Where or to whom will they see us
bow? I know what I want my children to see, and I imagine you want the same.
Just as in years gone by, our modern idols are weak and
worthless frauds. If not so utterly and heartbreakingly tragic our pursuit of
them would be almost comical. What energy we expend in our efforts to erect
such idols in our hearts! Yet our God is great and mighty, living and true,
wise and eternal: everything idols are not. And he bids us “return”.
When we read these words or utter them aloud, we know. We
know there’s only One to whom we can entrust our hearts. Only One who freely
gives the rest we so desperately crave. Jesus. ONLY Jesus.
Now, off to finish Jeremiah and start Day 2 of “No Other
Gods”: I’m already behind! Well, maybe not too much. May we all be challenged
to ensure the throne of our hearts this coming year is reserved ONLY for the
Living God.
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