I want...
I need...
Everyone has dreams, goals and desires – material possessions, status, career success, relationships, activities and experiences. And certainly there's nothing wrong with good jobs, relationships or nice things. If God has blessed you, that's great! The problem arises when those things transform from blessings into idols.
Do you ever feel such a strong need for a thing or a situation that your life won't be complete without it? Do you find yourself saying, “If only...”?
Do you constantly feel angry, anxious, frustrated, depressed or helpless? This may indicate that there is something you want, and you cannot find peace until you have it.
When you see people with things you want, do you say negative things about them? Do you think they must be greedy.
Do you feel an emptiness within you? Do you try to fill it by becoming a workaholic, shopaholic, golfaholic, pornoholic, promiscuous, a party animal, adrenaline junkie, etc. Or do you spend a lot of time living vicariously through your children, sports team, pop culture, politics, etc?
These are all indications of idolatry. We either need things to boost our egos, or we are too focused on attaining various forms of satisfaction.
If we are self-centered and egocentric, we become our own idols. We desire to glorify ourselves.
If we are dissatisfied with our lives, we feel vulnerable. This makes us much more susceptible to temptation. We may engage in shallow activities that provide temporary gratification. Or we may make critical life decisions that we believe will lead to satisfaction.
These forms of idolatry turn life into an illusion. Our perspective may be filled, but our heart will not be. Only God can give us the kind of deep spiritual satisfaction that we crave. Only God can give us the power and strength we need to eliminate vulnerability. By connecting to God and allowing ourselves to be a conduit for the Holy Spirit, we become part of His infinite presence.
Once we are filled with Spirit (inspired), we can engage in the pleasures of the world and simply rejoice in the experiences, instead of needing the experiences to somehow satisfy us. Instead of taking energy from the world and the people in our lives, we can provide energy. We can enjoy material possessions without feeling a need for them. This is true freedom. (John 8:31 – 32) It's the freedom from a life of sin and illusion that Jesus spoke about. Freedom from the need to engage in idolatry.
