Other gods (Idols)
Dear Champions,
The short excerpt is by Tim Keller, and the Scripture is Exodus 20:3-5 "You shall have no other gods before me. " . . .
The thoughts that a battered woman shared with Tim Keller.
I'm going to my counselor and much of what she has said is right. My counselor said that I have built my very significance and acceptability and identity on men, and that's why I have been defensive with them. I simply have needed them too much. All of that is right and helpful. However, my counselor says that what I should do instead is to get myself a great career. While my counselor means well-I absolutely do need to get some training and get myself a job and career, but what she is saying is that I should do that so that I will also feel better about myself. But that would mean that I would be switching from one kind of idol to another. For many years my heart has been looking at men and saying unless I'm successful at love, then I'm nothing. But the counselor wants me to look at my career and say that unless I am a successful independent businesswoman who is in control of my own life, then I am nothing. I don't want to be enslaved to my work as I was to men. I'm actually being asked to exchange a typical female idol for a typical male idol, and I don't want either.
When I asked the woman how was she doing, she actually quoted Colossians 3. When Christ, who is your life appears, you will be glorified. She says that it is very practical. "When I go to church, when I am in worship, when what Jesus did for me is so real and so wonderful, in my heart I think of the men in my life and I say, I'm glad to know you, and I certainly wouldn't mind being married, but you are not my life. Christ is my life. You're a good thing, but you are not an ultimate thing. I would love to have a husband, but if I don't, then I've got Jesus. I set my mind on things above, and you can't give me any of the things that Jesus has given me. I don't want to look to men or to a career. A career can't die for me. If I life for a career and fail, it will beat me up for having been a failure. But if I live for Jesus, He died for me to forgive me. Jesus is the only Savior that if you get Him will satisfy you. If you fail Him, and we do fail Him, He can die for you."
Champions, have a great week!-David Vining
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