Idols

1 John 5:21 ► King James Version
Little children, keep yourselves from idols. Amen.

Often we see idols as the one in the picture - an image, or a shape hewn by the hands of a man, and worshipped.

But we also know that the idea of an idol is not limited by physical symbols and images, as there is also a spiritual representation of an idol.

Way too often I have come across fellow-Christians who have been righteously minded, and fallen to the roadside, even stating that they have left Christianity. Thankfully, most have only left the fellowship and not Christ Himself.

But spiritual fellowship is for our strengthening and edification, and the ideas and strong opinions of the others should not be anything to push us further from Christ - as Christ has nothing to do with human ideas.

Yet, if we allow ourselves the liberty to let the opinions of other humans influence us to the core, where we stop going to church, and go as far as to state that we have nothing to do with Christianity, then has God changed? Clearly, not. Why do we then allow the other humans become as influential as to assume His position in our life, dictating our life, and steps we take.

It happens for we have allowed them to overshadow the image and person of God in our life, and become idols - whose ideas and words and thoughts and attitudes and actions are stronger than the voice of God and His Word and Presence in our life.

God is still the same. He does not change. He is the same yesterday, today and forever.
We have changed. We have allowed other voices to become more influential than the Truth we know! And we have bowed before other opinions, allowing them to rule and reign and start dictating our steps.

Let God be God, and man be man.

Discernment in God's way is an ability to make the difference, and see, see not the natural, but beyond it - into the spirit realm, and understand whether something is of God, devil, or human. And the latter one is a tricky ground where most battles rage. It is easy to know God, and relatively easy to recognise the devil. But the opinion of our fellow humans can be something which takes us to the breaking point where we ascribe more importance to human ideas and words and thoughts and perceived attitudes toward us, by ending up a people pleaser, or allowing the ideas of men to break us, and make us want to give up. And if we yield to this temptation, we end up worshipping the idols. As the opinions of mere men have become more relevant to us than the opinion and Truth of God.

And if to let this push us to the extreme, where we turn our back to Christianity, just for we have met some Christians with different opinions and stony cold hearts, we have not done well. As we can never really turn our back to Christ, once we have learned about His goodness and kindness to us. But if we let the above to bully us to the point where we give up on Christianity, and become lone rangers, we have lost something vital. Yes, our connection with Christ remains. But we have allowed someone else to ascend to a ruling position in our life. The others, instead of God. And it can be a deadly trap.

We can't be effective in ministry, if we do not learn to die to the opinions of the other men. To the degree where we can take the difference of opinion and embrace people of various mindsets, without letting it bring us to the point where we throw in the towel and give in, and give up on our victory walk with God.

Let us not allow any idols to rule our mind, and influence us, and bind us. Let us live in a freedom Christ gave us. And that means that we are responsible for our own life, and thoughts and actions and attitudes. And we can always choose to do what is right. And if there are different voices who cry out and dislike something, too bad for them. We can recognise them for what they are - mere human opinions, and carry on with God. Going with what we know we have heard from Him. As it is His Holy Spirit leading us, and not the ideas of other men. Let the Spirit be in the leading role, and let every other voice fall into its place where it belongs. If the enemy, we take action. If another human, then we cannot bind the mind of another, but we can strengthen ours, and develop a steel spine, where we are not bending to the whim of men, to do according to their will, but march on with what we know to be the will of God.

Easy.
But sometimes so hard.
Simply for we care too much for our fellow humans. And that makes us go an extra mile.
But if not careful, it may lead us to a trap, where we are entrapped by the ideas of another human - who does not care for us, nor other human beings. And while it is noble to have empathy, and know how to step into the shoes of another - isn't it only one of the fundamental tenets of Christianity and Christ-likeness - we must learn to walk in ours. It is good to have empathy, it is good to understand. But we can not let the opinions of our fellow men drive us, and bind us, and break us. Then we have gone a step too far. By allowing them to overtake the role reserved for God in our life. He is about freedom. Idols are not. He is about respecting our choices, while showing us the way to go. Idols are all about binding us, and capturing us. And once such idol falls, it pulls us along. But with God, we stand.