God at Work

How would you define an idol? After some careful thought, here's what I've come up with:

An idol is anything besides the Lord God that claims our heart's allegiance by drawing its affection and intention away from Him.

You and I may differ on how we exactly define what an idol is, but we can be sure of this one thing: God is at work in us to remove every idol that lives in our hearts. And how does he do that? I'd like to propose that he removes our idols by addressing our affections and our intentions. I mean, He goes after our hearts and our minds. Paul Tripp, pastor and author, writes, "What we are all going through right here, right now is a massive, progressive process of values clarification and heart protection." ¹ God is dealing with what we think is most important to our lives and what our hearts so chase after.

Take a look at what Paul the apostle writes,

Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. ²

God our Father is faithful to alert us of any idols still residing in our lives - often by increasing our awareness of this world's proclivity to disappoint. But why remove our idols? I can think of several reasons, but the one I'd like to discuss is that true worship will not abide an idol. We cannot worship God in spirit and in truth if our hearts are overrun by other gods. To be sure, idols and soulishness can coexist, but idols and true worship cannot. So, God works in us to rid us of every form of idol that takes His place in our hearts, for He is seeking those who will worship Him in spirit and in truth. ³

Now, here is some good news: the onus for destroying the idols in your life is not resting on you! It is God who is at work in you,

For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him. ⁴

We are working out what He is working in, not resisting, but submitting to His work in us. ⁵

God moves in a mysterious way, His wonders to perform. ⁶ Life is seeded with many challenges, and those challenges are a mercy to us, for they are wielded by the hand of our loving God who is working all of them for our good, to form us into His image, and prepare us for the day we will, all together, worship Him. But for the now, I pray that you would ...

set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. ⁷

References

¹ New Morning Mercies, Paul Tripp, ©2014, Published by Crossway

² Colossians 3:1-2

³ John 4:23-24 - Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.

⁴ Philippians 2:13

⁵ Philippians 2:12 - Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling ...

⁶ Cowper's Poems, William Cowper, ©1877, T. Y. Crowell, Publisher, p. 350

⁷ 1 Peter 1:13