Excerpts, part 2 -- My Household Gods

"As I've thought about Rachel's story, I've wondered about my household idols. I've wondered whether I have any domestic deities -- household gods that I'm looking to for my happiness and security. What do I long for so much that my heart clamors, 'Give me this, or I'll die!' What must I have for life to be meaningful or happy? If I answer that question with anything other than God Himself, then that's what functions as a god for me.

Even though we don't bown down to stone statues or make bowls of food to set before our gods, we worship idols in other ways. John Calvin commented on this when he wrote,

When Moses relates that Rachel stole her father's idols, he is speaking of

a vice that was common. From this we may gather that man's nauture...

is a perpetual factory of idols (emphasis added).

Idols aren't just stone statues. No, idols are the thoughts, desires, longings, and expectations that we worship in the place of the true God. Idols cause us to ignore the true God in search of what we think we need.

~~~

In some ways, the relationship that we have with these false gods is similar to the relationship that we have with the true God. We look to these gods to bless us. Rachel would say, If I have children like my sister Leah, I'll be happy. We might say, If I have a godly spouse or If my children excel in school, I'll be happy. Of course having godly relationships is a blessing and a source of happiness, and there is nothing sinful in desiring them; but if they are the source of our joy...if they take top priority in our lives, then they are our gods. That's why Jesus said, 'Seek first [God's] kingdom' (Matt. 6:33). If God is the top priority in our lives, everything else will fall into place. It's then that these beloved blessings will fade in importance and God will take His rightful place in our hearts."

--Elyse Fitzpatrick, in Idols of the Heart: Learning to Long for God Alone

"If God is the top priority in our lives, everything else will fall into place. It's then that these beloved blessings will fade in importance and God will take His rightful place in our hearts." This last statement here really struck me. This was a couple of nights ago that I read this -- I had had a tough day, it was late, and I was really tired. I wanted to read this book, though, feeling that there was something in it for me. I was kind of dozing off as I read (I know -- sounds impossible, doesn't it?!), and I read those couple sentences just as I had been reading the rest of it. Then suddenly, my eyes opened all the way, I lifted my head up a little, and I read that again. Wow. That was really amazing! "If God is the top priority in our lives, everything else will fall into place..." Yes, that's very true. But what comes after that...it's "then" that "these beloved blessings", that seem so important to us, will "fade in importance..." and GOD will take His rightful place in our hearts. That, right there, is the "falling into place" that will inevitably happen when we put God at the top. We won't necessarily get "what we want"...I mean, as far as material blessings, etc. But what will fall into place is that God will come into focus and "those beloved blessings" will fade. What an amazing concept.

I challenge you, each and every one of you, to really think and be honest about what you would fill in the blanks if you were the one saying, "Give me _________ or I'll die!" (See Genesis 30:1). It's a tough question. It's too real. It's too deep. I know. But when you really take an honest, good look at it, and then do what needs to be done (begging the Lord to "fill in those blanks" with Himself), that is when everything will fall into place.

Blessings to you!