Giving Up My Idols, episode 164

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If you love a prodigal, you can discover help and hope for your wilderness journey right here at the When You Love a Prodigal podcast.

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And also help and hope for your own life journey.

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So did you gain some help and hope for setting your prodigal free from the evil one's traps?

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I trust so.

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And today we're going to talk about some freedom for you.

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Please be sure to jot down any ideas that you can apply today.

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Or you know what I always say, you'll forget.

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I've always been amazed at the idolatry of the children of Israel throughout the Old Testament.

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I was sure I would never worship an idol until I discovered that I had some idolatry problems.

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The prophet Isaiah repeatedly mocks the children of Israel for carving idols to worship out of half a log and cooking their dinner with the other half.

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How could anyone think that quote, God could save them?

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We read in 1 Samuel that rebellion is like the sin of witchcraft and arrogance like the evil of idolatry.

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That's in 1 Samuel 15.

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Wow.

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I need to examine my rebellious tendencies because I do have them.

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Is it permissible to stand against injustice?

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Of course.

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Is it good to push the boundaries to reach a breakthrough?

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Probably. Often.

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Is it okay to break rules for a higher purpose?

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Well, sometimes.

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Is it right to say no to God to choose my way over his way?

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It's not right and it's not wise.

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So do we sometimes choose not to follow his way?

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Most of us have to answer yes to that.

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We do sometimes choose our own way.

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And God understands our struggles.

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But he gives us every reason not to rebel.

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He proves over and over that our stubborn and rebellious choices are not only foolish,

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but they represent the idols in our minds and hearts.

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How do I know he understands?

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He's God.

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He is good.

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He knows.

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He cares.

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And he is able.

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He is a perfect blend of justice and mercy.

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He loves me more than I can understand.

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But he is holy.

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And he is grace.

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And there are so many more things that are true of him.

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When I recognize that, do I still rebel, demand my own way?

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Sometimes.

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But fortunately, life and experience have taught me well.

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I totally believe that his way is always better than my way.

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And gratefully, I usually now finally choose that way without a fight, almost always now.

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The reality, sometimes I thought I had to have something,

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something tangible, a certain car, or recognition that I thought I deserved,

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or any other things that I thought would make me happy or fulfilled or satisfied.

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And those things can become idols.

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If I think I have to have it, it's like I'm putting that as higher value to me than the Lord himself.

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Idol, as defined by God, is anything that is higher in our affections than God.

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He's got to be the top, the most, the best, because he is.

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Whatever we think we must have to be happy, something that occupies the throne of our lives is an idol.

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The primary idols of my heart, well, for sure my own way, control of my own life.

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From the time I was born, I wanted my own way.

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My family has told me that many times.

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And it's taken quite a few decades since I came to Christ to really be able to hold open hands.

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As I grew in my walk with God, I discovered this pattern in my conversations with God not infrequently.

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I would say, Lord, I must have this, something I wanted.

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God would say, probably not, Judy, just surrender.

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You will find what you really want.

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I'm a slow learner.

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Maybe you are, too.

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When God called me to serve him, my fiancé said, no, he wasn't going to serve God.

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He was going to go get a job.

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And I said, Lord, tell him that we're going to serve God.

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And God said, Judy, if you marry him, you won't be able to do what I want you to do.

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Which was I going to choose, my way or God's way?

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I remember that I fought with the Lord pretty much all night that night.

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And in the morning, I surrendered.

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I chose God's way.

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And I have loved what God has had for me to do.

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When a man who was less qualified than I was given the job I thought would be mine, I said, no, Lord, that is not right.

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And God said, this is of me.

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It will be good.

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Again, a little arguing with the Lord.

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And I said, I choose your way.

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I surrender.

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And God used me to help that man, but he used that man to teach me so much and prepare me for my next assignment that God had for me.

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So grateful that God doesn't let me settle for demanding my own way.

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When the man I loved was in no hurry for marriage, this was a few years later, I said, Lord, either let us get married, my plan and a good one, or just let this be over.

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I'm done with it.

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And God said, no, stay, Judy.

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You have much to learn about my way.

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Finally, I surrendered.

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And that man was definitely worth waiting for.

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When my first baby cried for months, I said, Lord, I am no good at a mother.

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I just think this is a mistake.

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And I'm sure I'll never be in control of my life again.

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And God said, Judy, you are just right for this child.

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And she is just right for you.

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For she will help you learn that your control over life is not as good as my plan for your life.

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And once again, I surrendered.

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And each day I learn more about choosing God's way.

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I wish I could say that I have always stayed surrendered, that I keep my white flag waving.

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But my desire for my own way is deeply ingrained, so my father continues firmly, creatively, gently,

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even lovingly, to pry my fingers loose from my grip on my life, calling me to let go, to trust him, to surrender.

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And when I once again say, I must have this, he says once more,

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really, Judy, I have a better idea.

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And once again, I hopefully say I surrender.

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Though still, sometimes begrudgingly or reluctantly, sometimes with deep sorrow or confusion,

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occasionally with anger and rebellious words,

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too often letting go of the same thing I must have over and over, and then it comes.

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Once again, I surrender.

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Those examples are idols.

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Yep.

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Anything that I put higher in my affections than God becomes an idol.

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Anything that I think I must have can become an idol.

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We know that God told us not to have any gods higher than him.

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That is no idols.

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Over and over in his word, he reminds us that he is El Elyon, the most high God.

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He says these beautiful words to us.

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To whom will you compare me? Or who is my equal?

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Lift up your eyes and look to the heavens.

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Who created all these?

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Who brings out the starry hosts one by one and calls forth each of them by name?

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Because of his great power and mighty strength, not one of them is missing.

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Yet we are so like the children of Israel,

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constructing our own idols, pursuing what we think will satisfy or rescue.

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I know. I've done this before.

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My recidivism rate is pretty high.

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Why do I want my way so much?

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When you love a prodigal, this can be a frequent conversation with God.

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Our most common idols are people, the people we love.

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Often those much loved wanderers and their return become idols in our hearts and minds.

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Some time ago, our son was going through a hard time.

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I thought he was doing well, making good progress,

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but I realized he was again making some poor choices.

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My response, no, he can't.

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I can't bear going back to what it used to be like.

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I can't stand for him to not choose God's best.

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I just can't keep doing this.

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There he was again, up on the throne of my heart.

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Prodigals can spend a lot of time on the throne of our heart.

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His becoming the man God made him to be had become, once again, an idol for me.

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Once again, I needed to take this thing I must have off the throne of my heart

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and put it on the altar as an offering to my God

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and say, please God, take your rightful place in my life.

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And then God said to me that time, let's make a memorial,

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a remembrance of this surrender which continues to be so hard for you.

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Take a piece of white paper, like a white flag,

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and write on it the idol you are surrendering.

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I did that. I wrote Josh's name and my desire for him to be all that I hoped he would be.

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I wrote that on that paper.

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Then he says, offer it up to me, a sacrifice of your heart.

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Set it on fire. Burn it, a sweet incense offering.

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Then collect the ashes and place them in your little alabaster urn

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and place it where you can see it to remind you that you have given that idol to me

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and that you can trust me to guide your life

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and to make sure that you're never giving up on your prodigal.

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Keep it where you can see it, the Lord said,

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when you find yourself once more placing him or something or someone higher in your affections

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than your love for me, let it remind you of your white flag, of your surrender.

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Sometimes it still takes a little while, but oh, the freedom when God is in his rightful place in my life,

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on the throne, in control, and my idols, still important in my life, but not an object of worship.

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So what about you?

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Did what I was sharing from my life cause you to realize that you have an idol or maybe several,

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that you need to surrender to the Lord?

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Do you need a white flag?

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I hope you find the freedom that I have found as you offer your idol or idols,

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most often at this point in life, your prodigal, up to God.

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He will never quit working to bring him or her back to you and to himself.

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I just can't tell you the freedom and the peace that will come as you keep open hands,

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keep your white flag surrendered there to say, God, I trust you.

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And even as this person I love so much becomes an idol, that I can give him back to you,

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I can turn her back over to you and say, I trust you, Lord, I surrender.

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I would love it if you took a minute to look at the show notes.

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There will be some things that might be really helpful to you.

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And it'd be really nice if you checked if you enjoyed this, if this was a helpful session for you.

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And you can even subscribe to the podcast so you don't ever miss it.

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Thanks so much. God bless you.