Ordinary Idols

Several months ago, I took a walk with the Lord. kept finding myself in the same desolate and desperate places while blaming others for patterns I had chosen. I could not figure out why I kept finding myself here, with the same pain and consequences. I walked and prayed, and all I could see was the thing that was causing me so much pain. The Lord spoke to me, showing me that I had a part in my suffering but could not see it. He offered to show me if only I would let Him guide me choosing new patterns.

Slowly and quietly, he started speaking in the choices I was making. Little things, like new ways of responding and new ways of seeing things started to seep in. The Holy Spirit was lading me out of my mess.

A short while later, my company introduced a program to help you stop drinking. I would have never considered it, honestly, if a monetary incentive wasn’t involved. And so, I feel the Lord guiding me to utilize it as a way to be more intentional and alert about my patterns in general.  

During my online visit, a program consult confirmed that there was no need for me to go through this program because it was clear that I didn’t have a drinking problem. But I kept checking in on the app every day anyway, and it taught me something about myself --and about humanity. We all run to something when we’re struggling.

Alcohol, cigarettes, drugs, binge-watching, shopping, eating, working, online scrolling…are all just means of coping and distraction.

We like to say that one is worse than the other, but inevitably they are the vices we run to instead of God. Yet, somehow, we’ve built justification and excuses to make ourselves feel better about it based on how often we do it or whether it is “harmful”.

God already calls it something….idolatry.

Society tells us that it’s okay if we aren’t an addict. But God says that He should come first, that we were designed to run to Him for Help.

We’ve learned various ways of coping since we were children.