Open Heart Surgery
This morning I did something a little different in my quiet time. The idea must have been Spirit given, because when I woke up and walked out of my room, I knew what I had to do.
As you know, I've been reading in 2 Kings lately, and have been seeing how Hezekiah and Josiah smashed down false idols and altars. I asked the question, "What are the idols in our own hearts?" Although I asked this question, I didn't really do anything about it. I knew I had idols in my heart (things that maybe I don't necessarily hold above God, but at least on par with Him), but I was afraid to look.
So this morning, I knew what I had to do. I would dig deep, and write down the list of my idols. First, though, I needed to prepare the scalpel that would undertake this surgery…the Word of God:
Habakkuk 2:18 - "Of what value is an idol, since a man has carved it? Or an image that teaches lies? For he who makes it trusts in his own creation; he makes idols that can not speak."
Ephesians 5:5 - "For this can be sure: No immoral, impure, or greedy person--such a man is an idolator--has any inheritance in the Kingdom of God."
1 Corinthians 10:13-14 - "No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it. Therefore, my dear friends, flee from idolatry."
Then I did the dirty deed, and began the open heart surgery. I found it very unpleasant, actually. My heart kept telling me, "Stop! Why are you beating yourself up like this? All these things are good things!!"
"So is the sun," I replied, "but people worshipped it in the old days, and that didn't make it okay."
After writing down the idols, I wrote a short prayer of repentance, thankfulness for His forgiveness, and requesting the Holy Spirit's power to help me worship the One True God alone.
Then came the fun part. I got to reenact Hezekiah and Josiah. I cut out the part of the paper that had the idols listed on it, and tore it to pieces, burned the pieces, ground the ashes into powder, and then flushed them down the toilet!! And I realized, this is what God has done to my sins as well!
But there was one more part of the heart surgery necessary--sewing it back up! The simplest way I found to do this was to be thankful, so I browsed through my thankfulness notebook. The only way to really enjoy the good things is to have a thankful and worshipful heart to the one who made them! So now, whenever I think about the things that were my idols, I want to say in myheart, "Hey, God made that!" and give all the glory and praise to Him.
My heart has been opened, the impurities cleaned out, and sewn up again. It'll probably have to happen again, soon, or at least a CT scan. ;-) But I know what my daily medication needs to be--an equal dose of God's Word and a grateful attitude.
So I know I asked this before (and it is a rhetorical question, by the way), but what are the idols in your heart?
~~~
Change the world!!!
In Christ,
Ellie
As you know, I've been reading in 2 Kings lately, and have been seeing how Hezekiah and Josiah smashed down false idols and altars. I asked the question, "What are the idols in our own hearts?" Although I asked this question, I didn't really do anything about it. I knew I had idols in my heart (things that maybe I don't necessarily hold above God, but at least on par with Him), but I was afraid to look.
So this morning, I knew what I had to do. I would dig deep, and write down the list of my idols. First, though, I needed to prepare the scalpel that would undertake this surgery…the Word of God:
Habakkuk 2:18 - "Of what value is an idol, since a man has carved it? Or an image that teaches lies? For he who makes it trusts in his own creation; he makes idols that can not speak."
Ephesians 5:5 - "For this can be sure: No immoral, impure, or greedy person--such a man is an idolator--has any inheritance in the Kingdom of God."
1 Corinthians 10:13-14 - "No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it. Therefore, my dear friends, flee from idolatry."
Then I did the dirty deed, and began the open heart surgery. I found it very unpleasant, actually. My heart kept telling me, "Stop! Why are you beating yourself up like this? All these things are good things!!"
"So is the sun," I replied, "but people worshipped it in the old days, and that didn't make it okay."
After writing down the idols, I wrote a short prayer of repentance, thankfulness for His forgiveness, and requesting the Holy Spirit's power to help me worship the One True God alone.
Then came the fun part. I got to reenact Hezekiah and Josiah. I cut out the part of the paper that had the idols listed on it, and tore it to pieces, burned the pieces, ground the ashes into powder, and then flushed them down the toilet!! And I realized, this is what God has done to my sins as well!But there was one more part of the heart surgery necessary--sewing it back up! The simplest way I found to do this was to be thankful, so I browsed through my thankfulness notebook. The only way to really enjoy the good things is to have a thankful and worshipful heart to the one who made them! So now, whenever I think about the things that were my idols, I want to say in myheart, "Hey, God made that!" and give all the glory and praise to Him.
My heart has been opened, the impurities cleaned out, and sewn up again. It'll probably have to happen again, soon, or at least a CT scan. ;-) But I know what my daily medication needs to be--an equal dose of God's Word and a grateful attitude.
So I know I asked this before (and it is a rhetorical question, by the way), but what are the idols in your heart?
~~~
Change the world!!!
In Christ,
Ellie
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