Idolatry And The Heart

The discerning heart seeks knowledge, but the mouth of a fool feeds on folly. (Pr 15:14)

I've written about the importance of knowledge, and how a continued renewal of ones mind is imperative for healthy spiritual growth.  But where is knowledge stored?  According to scripture it is gathered to the very heart of man.

What is the heart?

The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks. (Lu 6:45)

As water reflects a face, so a man's heart reflects the man. (Pr 27:19)

Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life. (Pr 4:23)

The heart is me.  My heart is what God sees.  It's the intangible secret place no human can truly know.  Even I don't understand everything that is stored up in my heart, until a situation reveals itself and my response is a reflection on how I feel about it.  And then, once I realize whatever it is, my immediate response is to repent if I am wrong, and pray that God changes me.  Who knows my heart completely?  The answer is clear.

May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer. (Ps 19:14)

My Heavenly Creator, Master and King knows my heart.  He knows the evil I had stored up in it, and yet through Jesus Christ He has washed it clean, so all that remains in His sight is the heart that belongs to Jesus.   Meanwhile, I am learning to discern what is well and good and pleasing to God.  This has been a long and painful process....and it will continue to be because I am full of sin, I want my own way, and the patience of Him who is shaping me and molding me is astounding!  I want to be done now.  I want to always reflect Jesus Christ, perfectly, gently, lovingly, but I fail over and over and over again.  That is why, remaining on my knees is far better than standing on my own two feet.  It's when I try to 'fix' things on my own, share my views zealously so that others become aware of what is going on instead of cautiously mentioning it, after much prayer.  I am accused of being judgmental.....well of course I am.  Everyone is.  No one can claim they aren't, that would be a lie.  As soon as we meet a person we judge whether they should be approached, or not.  When we hear about something we judge whether that person did the right thing, or not.  Everyone judges, in fact we are commanded to.

Definition for the Greek verb translated in our English Bibles as "JUDGE" (Strong's Concordance #3212)

• to separate, put asunder, to pick out, select, choose
• to approve, esteem, to prefer
• to be of opinion, deem, think, to be of opinion
• to determine, resolve, decree
• to judge
• to pronounce an opinion concerning right and wrong
• to be judged, i.e. summoned to trial that one’s case may be examined
• to pronounce judgment, to subject to censure
• to pass judgment on the deeds and words of others
• to rule, govern
• to preside over with the power of giving judicial decisions

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We must always exercise moral judgment and judge (evaluate, discern, determine) what is right or  wrong according to the standard of God's Word:

"Hypocrites! You can discern the face of the sky and of the earth, but how is it you do not discern this time? Yes, and why, even of yourselves, do you not judge what is right?"Luke 12:56

"Do not judge according to appearance, but judge with righteous judgment.”John 7:24

"For if we would judge ourselves, we would not be judged." 1 Corinthians 11:31

"Do you not know that the saints will judge the world? And if the world will be judged by you, are you unworthy to judge the smallest matters?" 1 Corinthians 6:2

"God said, 'Ask! What shall I give you?'

      And Solomon said: '...O Lord my God, You have made Your servant king instead of my father David, but I am a little child; I do not know how to go out or come in. And Your servant is in the midst of Your people whom You have chosen, a great people, too numerous to be numbered or counted. Therefore give to Your servant an understanding heart to judge Your people, that I may discern between good and evil.'

     "The speech pleased the Lord...." 1 Kings 3:5-10

"A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good things, and an evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things. But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment. For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned." Matthew 12:35-37

It gets tiring to constantly be told I am wrong.  About everything.  Anytime I speak.  Accused of being on a high horse, prideful, judgmental, perfect, a know-it-all.  It really does wear down my resolve and desire to help others along.  Those who claim to be tired of constant attacks from me need to understand that being a Christian is not easy.  We are under constant attack, either by the Holy Spirit that is pointing and exposing our heart to our own sin, or Satan who is trying to undermine the Holy Spirit.  When I write about something, or email, or talk on the phone, or hang out, my words are not coming from a heart that hates.  My words are not coming from a heart that kills.  My heart belongs to God, my motives are to see Him and His Word treated with fear, and respect and used truthfully.  Does this mean I am always right?  Uh, no.  If I have used scripture to further my own selfish motives I am absolutely positive someone who is learning along with me from the same book will point it out.  I must be held accountable.  I am open to rebuke, I know I am not worthy of anything, especially forgiveness.  However, God has created me with an outspoken nature, it is my worst feature, and best gift.  The application is what I need to rely on The Lord for.

I had an unpleasant interaction over the phone this morning, and for a fraction of a second I turned inward, selfish, and wanting to retaliate.  I relied on myself to teach this person a lesson.  I did something I had boldly stated I would never do.  As soon as I did it, it was like I hadn't eaten in a few weeks.  My hands started shaking, and after a few minutes my teeth started rattling.  I wasn't sick.  I had eaten.  I wasn't cold.  But I was certainly being pricked by The Holy Spirit.  I had done something that made me the worst hypocrite ever.  I even sought out my husband's advice, hoping his affection for me would calm my nerves.  Nope.  He told me I was wrong, and I needed to rectify it immediately.  My husband is a wise man.  I reversed my actions, and now I humbly wait and see if my gesture is accepted.  If not, at least I tried to do the right thing.  I am calm, at peace with myself, and am again in awe at the power of GOD!!

Which brings me to another question, or observation:

Can the biological family one is born into become a heart idol?

Let's look at what and idol is, according to scripture.

Ezekiel 14:1-3 Then certain of the elders of Israel came to me and sat before me. 2 And the word of the Lord came to me: 3“Son of man, these men have taken their idols into their hearts, and set the stumbling block of their iniquity before their faces. Should I indeed let myself be consulted by them?

"Little children, guard yourselves from idols." - 1 John 5:21

"Deaden, therefore, YOUR body members that are upon the earth as respects fornication, uncleanness, sexual appetite, hurtful desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry." - Col 3:5

Revelation 9.20
And the rest of the men which were not killed by these plagues yet repented not of the works of their hands, that they should not worship devils, and idols of gold, and silver, and brass, and stone, and of wood: which neither can see, nor hear, nor walk:

Could stubbornness be an idol?  I am sure of it.  Anything put before the Will and Command of God, God Himself, is an idol.  We can excuse our behaviour by telling ourselves;

"They're no fun to be around, they drag me down, I do not feel love or encouragement from them so I choose to abstain from being around them or speaking to them."

"They bring nothing positive to my life."

"I am serving God by being self-sufficient, by reading His word and trusting those who are more learned than I to fill in the blanks."

"I know enough, I don't need to learn anything else, all I need to do now is teach and share my knowledge."

Again, anything put before God, even the service of God, is idol worship.  Choosing to be with your biological family over gathering with your Church Family whom God Himself has built and is building would be idol worship.  Choosing activities that happen to fall on a Sunday and therefore missing several because "it's okay, I'll read my bible this week."  It's idol worship.  God will not be mocked.  Jesus built His Church on the earth while He was still walking on it, and yet because someone related to you is converted you think it's acceptable to do an activity with them and claim it's worshiping God?  By no means.  If it were, Jesus would have intrusted Churches to exist only in familial form.  Unity means the same.  The biological family is merely a stepping stone to the place where God calls His people, (and sometimes those who aren't His people but He has a use of them for a time so He brings them in....which teaches His people and causes repentance.)

Leaving and Cleaving isn't just for a few things, it's for EVERYTHING.  A child trained in the knowledge of the bible won't necessarily be converted, but he'll be a good citizen, and not depart from the lessons his parents teach him.  God's word is never unfruitful.  My point is, is that once grown, it's God who calls His people where He wills, and children don't necessarily need to attend the same Church as their parents, in fact I would encourage adults to try out many different gathering places.  You won't go anywhere God hasn't already ordained you be.  Your family is made up of people who have to love and accept you regardless of your lifestyle choices.  Or at least they should.

Your Church, does not.  Your Church is people made up of the body of Christ, and Christ is holy.  Do you see the difference?

1 Corinthians 12:2 You know that when you were pagans you were led astray to mute idols, however you were led.

Here's a few quotes on family from the world's point of view that made me chuckle:

"Families are about love overcoming emotional torture." ~Matt Groening

"If you don't understand how a woman could both love her sister dearly and want to wring her neck at the same time, then you were probably an only child."  ~Linda Sunshine

"Children in a family are like flowers in a bouquet; there's always one determined to face in an opposite direction from the way the arranger desires." ~Marcelene Cox

"Parents are not quite interested in justice, they are interested in quiet." ~Bill Cosby

Who has designed your life, your family?  Who has care and control and makes every single circumstance, whether causing joy, or causing sorrow?  Who has put the people in your life, good and bad?  Is God ever wrong?  If your answer is yes, I urge you to repent and forgive those who have spewed venomous words, or has written hateful writings about you.  You have been forgiven much much worse.  If you think you haven't done as worse as the worst sinner, I suggest you read the entire Bible again.  If a broken relationship between a fellow believer or an unregenerate  is not something you want to put any effort in to repair, where should your effort go?  What has God called us to put our energy into?

Matthew 6:21, For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Jesus wasn't making a passing remark just to fill in the time.  This warning must be taken seriously, right now, not later, not when you have time to research it longer, not when the offender gives proof they won't say a hurtful thing again.   Now.  What are you putting your full focus on?  Who is taking up your time?  If  it isn't those who are causing you angst, to repair what has been severed, then who?  Or what?  Remember, anything, even service, if it comes before God, and what He has built to be something tangible, now, for us, the nature of Jesus, His people, is idol worship.  Where does your treasure lie?

Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.

I have not seen God, nor Jesus Christ, and neither The Holy Spirit.  But I know them, I love them, my desire is to serve them and be taught, changed, and conformed by them and through them and the means that God has provided.  What great hope is this, that my friend laid down his life for me even though I spat in his face, caused him so much pain, mocked his very effort in reaching out to me in love, was born hating his Father; and yet he STILL chose me to serve him.  I belong to him, I am his sister, and the daughter of The Most High King.  If I treated my very Saviour in this way, why the amazement that I would treat anyone else with as much contempt?  I can not treat any human being worse than I treated my God....I have tried, and yet He has extended more grace to me than I can fathom.  Are we not to do the same?  I don't think we are to wait for evidence that a fellow sinner has changed in the familial group, because that might rob years away of certain joy, and The Lord may return before then.  How embarrassing would it be to be bowing at the feet of Jesus, to look up at him in the eyes, and say, "They deserved it."

Jesus told His disciples, "He who is not with Me is against Me,  and he who does not gather with Me scatters."Luke 11:23

Put aside those emotions that Satan himself feeds.  Put aside all anger, malice, contempt and hurt another human has caused you and reach out your hand.  God heals all pain, takes away all tears, even while on this earth.  God will give you the forgiveness you need if you ask Him to open your heart to receive it.  We will continue to mess up, but if we keep the focus on the Cross, and strive to serve God first, humbly accepting the fact that people aren't perfect and those in your life that God has placed around you are for your benefit and His Glory.  Take that first step and put everything behind you and your heart will be filled with an everlasting love.

Him.