Flee from Idolatry

“Therefore, my dear friends, flee from idolatry” (1 Corinthians 10:14).
 
Webster’s Dictionary defines idolatry as, “blind or excessive adoration or devotion.” Interesting words, blind or excessive? The enemy does not want you to see that moment when your adoration evolves into idolatry.
 
I recently purchased a new-old car, one of less prestige than the high class sedan I had driven for three years. I traded down because I wanted to free up finances, but what I discovered through hindsight was one of the many dents in my character. I realized that driving my nicer car produced an inconsistency in my person. I thought I simply loved to drive that car, but when I drove it, I constantly fought the temptation of pride. When I would stop in traffic or pull into a parking lot, I would notice the inferior car next to me. Because my car was nicer, the temptation to think more highly of myself would sink it’s teeth into my conscience. It was messed up, I would observe another car and feel both a praise of thankfulness for God’s wonderful provision as well as an underlying smugness inside me at the same time…. it was hypocrisy.
 
Pride is always there in each of us; pride doesn’t enter from the outside. It preexists in our sinful nature. The capacity for pride (and other sins) always simmers just below the surface and Satan’s desire is to bring sin to full boil in us. Our task is to cool things down. The most effective way to cool things down is to flee altogether from the temptation. I now drive my new car in total peace, free from the temptation to wrongful pride yet thankful for a nice reliable vehicle that gets me where I need to be.
 
Now here’s the big idea. While I drove the expensive car to which I was excessively devoted, I was blind to how consuming pride’s cycle of temptation and sin was in my life. I did not see how deep the idolatry ran. Only after the temptation was removed, did I understand how dominating its rule over my thought life had been. I did not comprehend pride’s grip when I lived so close to it, but when I got away from it I saw it clearly.
 
What is the thing that tempts you to pride? The thing which Satan employs to bring your pride to a boil. Here is the rule: No matter what level of material life you enjoy, if what you have or how you look tempts you to think more highly of yourself than you ought, it has become your idol. So be careful, the thing you adore can become your temptation. Your devotion can become blind. Today, even now, remove the temptation from your life and live in the peace of His love and provision free from sins grasp.
 
In His Service,
Eric Barnes

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