Idols of the heart

Our ladies group this past week shared about idols of the heart.  We talked about the idols of this culture and about the personal idols that we have that we put before God.  This is not always a comfortable conversation, especially when we have to face the ugliness of our own hearts.  As we talked and shared and prayed it reminded me of last fall.

After losing our jobs, Mike and I went to a pastor's retreat together.  It was a fabulous week of rest and quiet and healing.  We were able to slow down enough to hear God speak and to make a plan for the future.  I had already been through some counselling prior to that week and had just been back from Haiti where God had done such amazing things in my heart.  So I was feeling pretty good.

We both had done this super LONG personality test before arriving and were going to be given the results of it.  I was ready to go first thinking that I was doing well in the changes I'd made and so didn't think I'd find too much to be surprised about.  Little did I know that I was going to be exposed again to my flaws.  I knew I was hard on myself, but didn't realize how hard until it was revealed to me through my counsellors.  We finished our session and I went upstairs and bawled my eyes out.  Not again!!!  I thought I was getting myself together here and I have so far to go still.

I now realize that I will always have far to go until I meet Jesus face to face.... Anyhow, I decided to go out into the sunshine and spend some time with Jesus.  There he revealed to me his grace and his love for me.  You see in his mercy, he revealed to me the lies that I had been believing about myself.  It wasn't so that he could poke at me and show me how terrible I was.  It was because he came to give me life, and life abundant.  He revealed the lies so I didn't have to keep believing them, so I didn't have to keep living in a box.  He showed me so that I could walk into freedom.

So as I see again some yucky parts of myself coming out, I again look to Jesus who is so faithful to continue the work that he began in me.  He has revealed my heart so that I don't have to continue to live in a way that compromises myself or Him.  What a good God I have.

So as an encouragement to you, if Jesus reveals something that needs work in your life remember that it is only because he loves you.  He wants to see you live a life that is whole and full and completely for Him.  Be encouraged.

"But for you who revere my name, the sun of rightesouness will rise with healing in its wings.  And you will go out and leap like calves released from the stall."  Malachi 4:2