Coalescence of Idolatry and Pride

Psalm 31:6 "I hate those who cling to worthless idols; as for me, I trust in the Lord."

Like the psalmist says, idols are worthless. We are warned numerous times to separate ourselves from or flee from idols. Particular verses that come to mind include 1 Corinthians 10:14 "Therefore, my dear friends, flee from idolatry," and 1 John 5:21 "Dear children, keep yourselves from idols." But what exactly are idols? Many people are familiar with the term, especially in the title of the hit show American Idol, but few understand its true meaning. There are some who believe that idols are just other gods that people choose to worship. They aren't wrong in this assumption, but they are missing a portion of the picture. Idolatry is not just worshipping false gods. Idolatry involves anything that you focus on or depend on more than God. One definition lists an idol as, "one that is adored, often blindly or excessively." Some people focus too much on celebrities, musicians, or athletes compared to God, which in a sense turns those objects into idols. Others seem to worship knowledge, technology, or themselves. The most prominent idol in society today, though, is money. So many people try to store away this so-called precious commodity without realizing they are truly worshipping it. The devastation that comes from idolizing money and getting caught up in greed is devastating. At the beginning of the Great Depression when the stock market first crashed in October 1929, numerous people committed suicide because they lost their life savings. It's scary to think that people are so willing to give up on living when all of their money is stripped away. Then again, I'm not surprised because we are warned about the power of money in 1 Timothy 6:10, which states, "For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs." We must not allow our love of money and wealth to hinder our walk with God. Eternal life is much more precious than anything that can be bought here on Earth. My request is that you try to steer your focus away from your idols and back to God. No matter what the focus, if it isn't on God, there is definitely a problem. I think Jonah expresses this best when he states in Jonah 2:8,  "Those who cling to worthless idols turn away from God's love for them." If we are constantly placing everything else before our love for God, then we are really losing out and missing the point of our life here on Earth, which is to glorify Him. 

I will be the first to admit that I have struggled with keeping God a priority in my life. I didn't realize it at the time, but there was a portion of my life where I relied heavily on other people, whether it was family or friends, to help get me through difficult times in my life. Forming close relationships with people is not a bad thing, but when you become dependent on them and turn to them in the face of chaos before turning to God, then something is bound to give way and implode. And that's exactly what happened to me. God definitely got my attention when he stripped away my closest relationships in order to get me to focus completely on Him. God knew I wasn't depending on Him in my deepest times of need, so in an effort to recapture that focus, God took away my distractions. It was staggering the impact it had on me, but I have become a better person for it. In hindsight, now that the cloud of devastation has cleared, I realize that it was necessary for my path to diverge from certain relationships in order to get back on the narrow path towards God. Now that I'm in the rebuilding phase of my social life, I am much more conscious of God and what He wants for my life. I am careful not to get caught up in that dependence of people, though going to friends for council and comfort is not a bad thing, as long as it doesn't trump my need for God.

What I have learned about myself, and what I assume about others, is that idols sprout up in our lives because we feel that we know what is best for us. Instead of remembering Scripture and the fact that God knows what is best for all of Creation, we become arrogant and prideful assuming that we know better than God. This is definitely not a good place to be in. Author, C.S. Lewis, put it this way in Mere Christianity: "It was through Pride that the devil became the devil: Pride leads to every other vice: it is the complete anti-God state of mind." We must not forget that we are mere, imperfect humans. In the grand scheme of things, we don't even know what good is, let alone what might benefit us in the long run. Lewis continues by stating, "As long as you are proud you cannot know God. A proud man is always looking down on things and people: and, of course, as long as you are looking down, you cannot see something that is above you." This is exactly what happens to those prideful humans who are caught up in the fog of idolatry. They can't see anything outside of their idol because they are completely consumed by it and do not understand that it is essential to focus on God for their needs, as opposed to believing they know what is best. Lewis's concluding thoughts related to pride are expressed in this way: "For Pride is spiritual cancer: it eats up the very possibility of love, or contentment, or even common sense." Pride is a disaster because it prevents us from being able to follow through with God's greatest commandment, which is to love one another, as God loved us (John 13:34). This is probably why God has such strong opposition to the proud. We are to follow His commands and bring Him glory, but if we spend our time here on Earth trying to glorify ourselves, we fall short. The next time you consider that you have a handle on your life, check yourself. Remember that God is sovereign and should always be glorified. And keep in mind what is stated in Proverbs 16:5 ~ "The Lord detests all the proud of heart. Be sure of this: They will not go unpunished."

Communication is Necessary in Any Relationship

"What we've got here is a failure to communicate." ~Cool Hand Luke

I think it is human nature to long to have one person in your life that you can always count on. It is natural to want to have that kind of close relationship with another person to the point that you don't even hesitate to call them when something good or bad happens in life. But that kind of relationship takes time and effort to build. One cannot expect a friend they met yesterday to drop everything to help in a crisis. It takes months or even years to build a solid relationship with anybody, and steady communication is the glue that holds the foundation of that relationship together. It would be ridiculous to assume a close bond existed with someone you only talked to once every couple months. You would be mere acquaintances at best. No, a close relationship requires communication at least once per week to remain strong. That doesn't necessarily have to be face to face, but nor can it be superficial. There must be genuine interest on both ends to set aside time for certain people who are important in our lives.

The same goes for your relationship with God. It is God's will for us to pray to Him in order to maintain a relationship, as stated in 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 ~ "Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus." In order for it to be successful, you must make time for Him on a daily basis, at the very least. Only praying to God out of necessity due to a crisis will not lay the bricks for a solid foundation on which to build a relationship. This only breeds a very inconsistent relationship with God, which lacks any true desire on your part to get to know Him and give well-deserved praise in the good times and bad. 

It is important to be open with the Lord and trust Him. Philippians 4:6-7 states, "Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." We seem to forget that God knows all and can help us through each and every situation if only we just communicated with Him. By neglecting your relationship with God, you are hindering your spiritual life and impeding any potential growth. Some feel that God simply won't hear their prayers. Again, this neglects the fact that God is ever present in our lives. When you begin to doubt that God doesn't hear your prayers, refer to Jonah 2:1-2, which states, "From inside the fish Jonah prayed to the Lord his God. He said: 'In my distress I called to the Lord, and he answered me. From deep inside the realm of the dead I called for help, and you listened to my cry." If God heard Jonah from inside the belly of a fish, I believe that God will hear you no matter where you are in this world. Psalm 145:18-19 can also build your confidence in the fact that the Lord hears your prayers because it says, "The LORD is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth. He fulfills the desires of those who fear him; he hears their cry and saves them." He is never far away from His creation and those He loves unconditionally. So we must remain steadfast and earnest in our prayer life in order to get to know Him.
What some seem to forget is that selfishness builds walls in any relationship. If you require your friends to always do what you want without ever considering their feelings or opinions, they probably won't remain your friends very long. This relates to your prayer life as well. Selfish prayers most likely will not be answered, unless God has a specific purpose behind it. The best way to pray is to mirror Jesus, whose walk was blameless and in line with the Father. As stated in 1 John 5:14-15, "This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him." All prayers and prayer requests must be made in accordance to God's will. God desires to be glorified and should be glorified, and all prayers should express that. Selfish desires with ulterior motives will not be answered and promoted. So the next time you find yourself wondering why your prayer has seemingly gone unanswered, instead of blaming God, look back at how you prayed because you are the flaw in the system. Patience is also key because God has a plan for everything and your prayers will be answered according to His time schedule, and not yours. So go and pray and build your relationship with your Father in heaven.