(I wrote this a few months ago....thought it was still worth posting)
I think we can all identify areas in our lives where/when we put things before God. We allow the things in our lives that we love to become an idol. We worship them by giving into their pleasures. We get excited when thinking about them, allowing our minds to be consumed with them often.
I have often thought of idols as something we view as positive in our lives. We enjoy the thought of having enough money to buy what we want. We idolize the new gaming system to the point of "I must have that!". We spend our time with these idol and away from the Lord. I am not suggesting that simply having the gaming system takes us away from the Lord, but rather, when we allow our joy to be found in these pleasures.
But recently, I have looked at negative things we idolize. Worry. Defeat. Sadness. When capitalizing on these things, we allow them to become idols in our lives. For me, a recent loss in my life has created a strong sense of anxiety. There is no doubt that I idolize this feeling. I wish I could sit here and tell you I have a handle on it, that the more I pray about it, the less anxiety I have. But it's still there. Every day.
It brings me to my knees and some days all I can say is "The Lord will fight for you; you need only be still." Exodus 14:14
