Idols

I like this weekend's calendar page. Don't you? It's a good one!

New 'Do:
Not the best pic, but I got my hair chopped yesterday. Brought in a few pictures, and the lady did an awesome job! I like my new short hair :)

Foot Bruise:
Can you see it? Right in the middle of my foot, there is a bruise. Don't know how it got there, but I'm pretty sure I can probably blame it on a 4 year old...one of the many in my class who step on my toes and drop things and run into me with toddler bikes. Oh the joys of teaching pre-k!

So enough of hair cuts and foot bruises...on to some more vulnerable topics:

Idols:

How many of you have idols in your life?

I'm pretty sure every hand better be up right now, because in one way or another, you are serving another idol which/whom you cherish and spend more time on than your relationship with God.

In Sunday School, we listed a few idols:

• work
• money
• kids
• spouse
• exercise
• food
• things
• TV
• video games
• school
• etc

The list could go on and on and on unfortunately. Bellevue is going through the Bible chronologically, and for the past couple weeks, I feel as though both Sunday School and our Pastor have talked about the 10 Commandments quite a bit, with an extreme focus on idols.

A couple weeks ago, I had dinner and ice cream with a sweet and wise and Godly friend of mine. She is a new friend, so this get together was very much us getting to know one another. We realized that we have both struggled GREATLY with body image, weight, and food and exercise obsession. I was confessing to her that I can't eat a bowl of ice cream without thinking about the next workout that I'm going to do. I can't have a workout without thinking how much I better burn to get rid of the calories I consumed earlier that day or the night before. I rarely go to bed without thinking about my workout the next morning. And if I haven't worked out at all in the day, well then you can best believe that my attitude that night will be a bad one, full of negative thoughts and a lack of self worth. My friend (who I don't want to name in case she doesn't want anyone to know this) told me that that has become an idol in her life as well. "An idol?" I thought..."I don't have idols in my life!" Hello, Abby! Yes you do!

I thought an idol was a golden calf that you place on a mountain top. I thought idols were other gods that you worship. "Little 'g' gods". Well, my sweet friend revealed that exercise and food obsession were very big idols in my life! Wow. Now, am I saying that it's bad to enjoy food and exercise? NOT NO WAY, NOT NO HOW! What I am saying is that when something becomes your main focus, other than worshiping our Father in Heaven, then it is an idol. Our pastor said that one retribution against flagrant disobedience is the destruction of idolatry. He said that idol literally means "nothing". Idols are a non entity. I essentially am idolizing nothing! Wow. Brother Steve also said that idolatry is spiritual adultery. I am cheating on my Holy God for food and exercise! What a blazing fool I am!

All this to say, I am going to make a super conscientiousness effort to quit making food and exercise my idol! I am going to enjoy a stinkin' dessert without freaking out about my next workout. I'm going to enjoy my workout rather than kill myself over it! I'm going to shut my mouth when I'm around my friends about food and working out. They don't want to hear it anyway. Friends, I'm sorry. I know I've been so annoying about constantly talking about working out and trying to eat right and regretting that extra scoop of ice cream. Gosh, that's annoying! So, I am really going to make a serious effort to stop making that my idol. In church, I said a little silent prayer to myself confessing that sinful idol in my life. I pray that God can forgive me of my selfishness. I know he can, but I have to be willing to change. I know I will.

I'm going to ask you again. What is the idol that you are serving? Who or what do you spend more time with than on your relationship with God? Consider this a spiritual check up. It's serious stuff, you guys. Figure out what's consuming your life. Confess it to God. Confess it to your friends to have them hold you accountable. God is good. God is life. God should be your one and only focus. Let's get serious, my friends. I love you all. God bless and have a wonderful Sunday evening!