Idolatry

Training started on Monday. BUT, before we got into leadership principles, the whole first day was spent on getting our hearts connected with the Savior. I really appreciated the attention the trainers gave to this - stressing that as leaders, our main concern was to be Christ-centered leaders.

During one of our sessions of personal contemplative times, I was reading an article entitled "Whom or What Do We Serve, Fear, Trust or Desire?" The artice focused mainly on the idea of idolatry. We often think of idolatry as something made out of wood or stone and fashioned into an idol. OR something that we've made as a replacement to God.

I really liked the article's definition - An idol is anything we believe we need apart from Jesus to make us happy, satisfied or fulfilled. An idol arises when we desire something moe than we desire Jesus; when we fear things rather than God; when we worship ourselves rather than Christ; when we put our trust in anything other than God, when we serve any other thing rather than Jesus.

We serve, love, desire, trust, fear, worship other things apart from God to give us love, joy, peace, freedom, status, identity, control, happiness, security, fulfillment, health, pleasure, significance, acceptance and respect. Sometimes our idols are obviously wrong. However, the things we desire are often good in themselves, but even good things become idols when they start to rule in our lives.

Talk about a gut check...how many times in a day do I commit idolatry?