Week 2: Why?
This week was extremely potent for me.
Why? It is a question we ask all the time. Why is this happening? Why did I do that? Why are they doing this or that? When we were little we constantly questioned our parents, why? Eat your vegetables. Why? They are good for you. Why? They have vitamins that will help you grow big. Why? You get the picture.
So, Kelly addressed the question of why do we have idols. Pain, to fill a void, being unaware, and fear. I think these are the the biggest reason for some of my idols. When we hurt or feel empty we want to replace those feelings with something good. I think this is an understandable desire. We don't what to have the negative feelings so we find positive things to overshadow them. This makes us feel better, or does it?
I like Kelly's reference to addicts. I had an uncle that was an alcoholic. He would hide bottles in his garage and would secretly drink. He could not hold down a job because of the drinking, it cost him his marriage, and eventually his life. He drank to fill a void or because he was in pain. In his fuzzy, happy drunk state he was not addressing the true problem only covering it up. If he and we would reach deep into our hearts and lay the emptiness or the pain at the foot of the cross, then the one who can really do something about it, will. How AWESOME and PEACEFUL is that?
Look at the examples of Sarah and Hannah. Kelly brings this up in the study, but it makes so much sense to me. Both woman had the same problem, could not bare children. One took matters into her own hands, Sarah, and the other trusted and waited on God, Hannah. Both women got what they desired, but at what cost did Sarah receive it? We need to learn to be more like Hannah when it comes to the trials and desires of our lives. We need to lay our pain, emptiness, burdens, desires, prayers, and praises at God's feet. We need to trust that he will take care of it. Easier said then done, but doing this will release us from the hold they have on us and they will not become our idols.
The other thing that rally struck me this week was day 5 on fear. All that Kelly said about how the object of our fear can be an idol makes so much sense to me. We are scared to be alone and therefore make finding a mate an idol. We are scared to be without a job and therefore make work an idol. But this question came to me and I wanted to know your thoughts.... if the object of our fear can turn out to be an idol, then why does God call us to be to God fearing? Are we supposed to make him an idol? Are we supposed to be scared of him? What does it really mean to be God fearing? The proverbs 31 woman is said to fear God. And she is the woman we strive to be like.
Wow!!! The thoughts and questions God lays on us. I am so blessed to be able to study and grow with you all. Thank you for making time to do this. You all are a blessing to me.
I have a prayer requests. One of my summer co-workers, Justin, lost his dad on father's day morning. He has been sick and had several serous surgeries. Please, pray for healing for Justin, his brothers, and mother. The family was Catholic, so he regularly attended church. The service is tomorrow. Thank you.
Shannon, great post! I really liked day 5 of week 2 also. It was definitely the most convicting to me. I do a lot more out of fear than I really thought. Actually, before this day I didn't really think that fear was an area of struggle for me (apart from the being alone at night), but through some soul searching I realized that I have made many decisions because of my fear of not fitting in or not pleasing others.
ReplyDeleteIt is wonderful how this study is really making us recognize these things in our lives, because without the recognition that they are there, we can't do anything about them.
In regards to "fearing the Lord", for a long time I really didn't understand what this meant or how to apply it to my life today, but the year before my time in Costa Rica I read a book called "Fear of the Lord" by John Bevere. It really helped me to understand that fearing the Lord changed a lot when Jesus died on the cross. Fear in the New Testament really means more like a reverent respect for the Lord as opposed to the fear that we think of as being scared of something. Shannon, I hope this helps. I am not nearly as eloquent of a writer as John Bevere, but there are the bullet points of the book! :)
That is what I thought it meant. So. I am glad that I was on the right track.
ReplyDeleteShannon~ Thanks for the thought-provoking post! When I read it, I just had to stop and take it all in for a minute. :)
ReplyDeleteTaylor~ Thanks for the clarification on the "fear of the Lord." I was thinking along similar lines as to what you included, but I wasn't sure whether or not I was correct!
What I loved most about this week was how Kelly took the time to explore many different motives behind our idols. I feel like at any different time and with different idols the motivation would be, different. For me, Day 4 hit hard. In the first paragraph on page 46 Kelly writes, "Often when the Lord is quiet, or when He's not acting on our behalf in the way we thought or hoped He would, we decide that we're on our own-that we need to look out for ourselves." On the next page she wrote, "Here's what's so penetrating to me about this: The Israelites turned God's gifts into gods." (Last sentence page 47). I immediately thought: I do this! And I definitely wasn't proud of it. As I examine myself, I realize that many of the people who God has truly blessed my life with by their presence, and even some I wish He had not (just trying to be honest), become my idols because I put too much time and effort into pleasing them, instead of pouring out that adoration to God. It seems so innocent because in my mind, I just want to love them and please them, but back to what I said in an earlier post, I have to pour my love into God, so that He can use me to love the people He's blessed me with His love. (I have a feeling this is coming across very wordy... I apologize!)