November 18, 2010

Tearing Down Idols

I have set idols up in my heart.
I never would have thought it possible.
After all, I have been a Christian most of my life.
The Lord saved me when I was nearly five.

Over the years I grew spiritually.  Sanctification.
But the pride.  Oh the pride!

I taught Sunday School as a teenager and prepared very little.
Prayed very little.  Really, I did much of what
would be called "serving the Lord" in my own strength.

Wood.  Hay.  Stubble.  Idols.


Where did they come from?  My own heart.  My imagination.
I set them up and didn't realise I had done it!
A perfect marriage.  A perfect home.  A perfect family.

None of these are attainable.
And if set up in a high position in our hearts, they become idols.
The Word of God says ~ "Thou shalt have no other gods before me."  Exodus 20:3

How often I have failed in this!
But how great and wonderful our God is!!
He forgives and helps us overcome these idols.
In the everyday a work of sanctification takes place.
He is faithful to complete that which He begins!

"Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you
will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ."  Philippians 1:6

As we ask for He help and grace, and seek Him for forgiveness ~
He will deliver us from the idols we have set up.
He enables us to surrender.

Might He give daily the ability to serve Him
with all of our hearts and love Him above all else.
In the everyday.  In the mundane.  In the ordinary.
All for His glory alone!

With Love, Camille

17 comments:

Barbara said...

Amen Camille, this is excellent, I really enjoyed it, brought so many things to mine, thank you, Hugs my friend, Barbara

Rhonda Schrock said...

Oh, Camille! I'm hearin' you, girl. God and I, we're working on a big one right now. It's not going down easy, but "we are more than conquerors."

The last two days, two lines from an Amy Carmichael poem keep marching through my mind: "O love of God, do this for me: maintain a constant victory."

Wanting What I Have said...

A.M.E.N. I can very much relate to this. Again, thank you for your encouragement dear friend!!!

You Can Call Me Jane said...

Amen, sister!

Patrizia said...

Camille, bless your heart. Thank you for being so transparent. I too have idols. We all do. Mine are ugly, I really dislike them. Its a daily struggle for me. Most of us look at idols as a 3 dementional thing, such as a statue. Idols can be anything we place before God. And I have them.

Thank you for this. The Lord has used you today to speak to me. I have much to do :)

Rejoicing In Him, Patrizia

Camille said...

Dear Barbara ~ How wonderful that the LORD is patient with us! The longer I walk with HIM, the more ugliness I see in me...how precious HE is!! Hugs back to you! :)

Dear Rhonda ~ Oh yes...maintaining the victory...I like that! How easy it is to fall and fall and fall again! May the LORD give you the victory in the situation you are in! HE is able! :)

Dear Jennifer ~ I'm so thankful that the LORD doesn't leave us to ourselves! How gracious HE is!! Thank YOU for always being such an encouragement to me! :)

Dear TH ~ Thank you for your words of affirmation...it's lovely to hear from you! :)

Dear Patrizia ~ How true it is..."we all have them"...yes, we do! Isn't it wonderful that the LORD leads us so gently along? The more we see our own sin the more lovely HE becomes...amazing to think that "while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us"! Such an incredible thing to ponder. :)

Blessings to you each one!
May the LORD draw each of us nearer to Himself this weekend.

In His Love,
Camille

Heather said...

Thank you for your honesty, Camille. I truly believe our transparency will be the only thing that draws others to Him! That's why I have no quams about all my "junk" being "out there" :) May the Lord use our weaknesses to lead others to His strength!
Have a good weekend.

Love, Heather

Cinnamon said...

Oh how true! I often find myself slipping back into my own strength till I'm carrying so heavy a burden I have to turn to the Lord :-) right where HE wanted me to begin with.

~Cinnamon

Stacie, A Firefighter's Wife said...

Yes, idols. "Anything you put before God".

I was saved at six and thought that I didn't have to read the Bible while I was growing up because I already knew all the Bible stories. Oh the pride and foolishness was exposed when I went to my first grown up Bible study when I was 23. I was so wrong, so embarrassed, but determined to change. 12 years later, and God has taken me through dozens of Bible studies that have changed my life completely. Pride can still be an obstacle, but I recongize it so much quicker when it rears it's ugly head. Thank the Lord for the conviction of the Holy Spirit!

His bondservant said...

Such a needful post Camille. Every Christian struggles in this area. It is a great reminder to constantly ask God what idols we have placed above Him. I know at times, when I go through especially difficult times, it is easy to place an idol before the Lord for comfort...because after all, an idol is anything that replaces Christ in our lives. Thank you for saying the unpopular things when they need to be said. God bless you dear sister!
jackie

TRUTH SHARER said...

Camille:

What an honest and truthful post here. I echo most every word.
May we draw water from the wells of our salvation today - digging deep and drinking freely.

Your last few words...
" and love HIM above all else...

Choosing JOY, Stephanie

Camille said...

Dear Heather ~ Oh YES!! To quote you..."May the Lord use our weaknesses to lead others to His strength!" Amen my friend!! :)

Dear Cinnamon ~ How true it is..."right where HE wanted me to begin with!" Oh that we would lean on HIM always...HE is our strength. :)

Dear Stacie ~ What a blessing that HE saved us!! HE leads us so gently along, doesn't HE? I was so surprised at the pride in my heart...how wonderful that HE doesn't leave us in our sin! :)

Dear Jackie ~ Comfort...yes, that can be an idol too! You are so right..."an idol is anything that replaces Christ in our lives"! May HE help us each to be sensitive to this and keep all things in their proper place in our hearts! Oh how I need HIM! :)

Dear Stephanie ~ How blessed we are to belong to HIM! Thank you for your encouraging words today. :)

Thank you to each of you ladies for your honest responses and encouragement...it is a blessing to my heart! May the LORD be glorified in each of our lives, and may others see HIM in us!

In His Love,
Camille

Anonymous said...

I wrote a similar post not too long ago - good post!

Intentional Living Homestead said...

We have been studying Moses in church and one Sunday the pastor preached on idols...I sat there in awe because I realized how silently idols creep into our lives. We think there aren't any, but oh boy, while driving home and the rest of the week, God revealed idols in my life I never new I had. I am so thankful for the cross and the blood that was shed for me, so I could go before my heavenly father and lay down those idols. I still do that daily as I'm a work in progress in the hands of the potter.

Loved your post.

Camille said...

Dear Courtney ~ Thank you for stopping by and for your encouraging words. Blessings to you! :)

Dear Treasures ~ Oh yes...they *do* creep in silently sometimes, don't they? How I was surprised to find them in my life too!! Thank you for your encouragement...it is a blessing. :)

May the LORD bless you both!
In Him,
Camille

Cheesemakin' Mamma said...

I love your heart! I can really identify with this post. Thanks so much for the reminder to depend on God alone!!!

Camille said...

Dear Jackie ~ You are very sweet! Thank you for being such a faithful friend. May the LORD bless you this day!

In Him,
Camille