It Starts Small

Anything we hold too tightly, we will loose.

Our knee jerk reaction;to when the storms come is to take control over the situation. It’s an emotional response and we all want to control. We want to live life with assurance everything is going to be okay and the things that are not okay can be fixed with a concentrated effort on our part. Secretly we thing, “If I plan carefully and work hard enough, I can overcome difficulty.”

When the difficulty is outside our scope of influence and greater than all our resources, problems and sever difficult ensue. Why? Why can we not just work hard enough with a so called “good willed heart” and see progress and change? Because the idea that any of us have goodwill is a lie created by legalism. No self effort will stand.

God allows these trials for a;important reason: He wants us to recognize that He is in control!

Trials are meant to bring us closer to God, cause us to look inwardly, and to change a behavior through obedience. When we face a circumstance that rapidly depletes our spiritual, emotional, and physical reserves we are driven to cling to something strong out of fear. The question is, do you cling to the arms of God or to your own resources.

Do you hand on to something other than the Lord? Do you grip tightly to earthly security instead of trusting the Lord God Almighty?

Whatever you cling to tightly to, you will lose. Whatever you cling to becomes an idol in your life. Regardless if it’s wealth, giftedness, pride, relationships, or religious ritual, you will lose it. God is not going to allow you to keep it as your source of confidence. Our confidence should be placed upon Him and His faithfulness. He will allow that “thing or person” that you have idolized to fail so that you will recognize His sovereignty and He never fail us.

God longs for us to release these idols in our lives so we can release ourselves into His control and eternal support. He will take care of all that concerns you in the best way possible. it may not be exactly as you pictured it, but He knows tomorrow and He will close doors not good for you, and open the right doors that are.

“Don’t worry about anything, but in everything, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.”
‭‭Philippians‬ ‭4‬:‭6‬-‭7‬ ‭CSB‬‬

He will sustain you through the process of refinement through trials. The Lord tests us and it is to demonstrate His never ending love.

What can you lay down at His feet that you know is an idol? What do you depend upon during trials?

One of the biggest idols in my life was my husband. I loved that man so much I idolized him. When troubles came I looked to him. When heart ache came, I looked to him. When I was suffering and drowning, I looked to him. I depended upon him for providing, security and friendship. I thought that is how a wife was supposed to be. Yes, and no. Not to the point you idolize the other person: Put them first before God in your priorities. It left me all the more empty.

I made my jobs my idol. Instead of turning to God to help with all the pain and suffering, I turned to my jobs. I sunk my energy and time into all my jobs. I was very successful, but left me empty.

I idolized my trauma and pain. I let it rule my emotions and my character. I put it first before God and relayed on “gut instinct”….aka emotional knee jerk relations to guide me. But in the end, it let me astray and empty.

I idolized my fear. I put my fears first before God. I relied o the lies to guide me to protect myself and provide for me because no one else could without being forced to compromise whatever bits and pieces I still had of myself. In the end, it left me empty.

All these idols changed me not for the good. I started to act, look like, and talk like all these idols. They turned me into a cruel, bitter, heartless person who only sought to just survive. They threw me into a prison and locked away the Holy Spirit’s voice. They drown out the goodness of God. I allowed these idols to put chains, like anchors around my feet, and keep me in bondage to worshipping them and in the end, I was empty.

What I held on to the tightest, God removed fro my life. It was only through separation I could open that prison door and breath the fresh air of His Word. Together, with the help of Christ, we took those chains off my feet and walked away from that tomb. All those idols were laid upon His altar and were burned. It was liberating but hard.

Small steps of trust grew into bigger steps of trust. My perception of God and myself were changed slowly. It had always been Him providing. He had always been there offering protection and freedom, but my gross addiction and depravity kept me in bondage and grew cotton in my ears, blinders over my eyes, and turned my heart to stone.

Don’t we serve a great and wonderful God? A God who never gives up on us. Who never thinks we are too far gone or lost. A God who has perfect timing to come in at the exact perfect moment to lead us away from the wreckage and ash of our own doing?

Those idols, are not worth it. Not in comparison to what the Lord God Almighty promises and is faithful to give when we return back to Him our lives to serve Him, His will and purpose for our lives. What He gives back is beyond what you could ever imagine.

Let go of those things before you lose them.