Idols in our lives

Carol, Lisa, and I attended the Women's conference at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary last Friday and Saturday. One of the break out sessions that I went to was
What's Pouring Water on the Fire? Detecting and Destroying Idols of the Heart.
This session was lead by Dana Cordell. She is the wife of one of the pastors of another church plant of Open Door Baptist Church. It was a very convicting session and also a very hopeful one. Here is just a taste of what she said.

I. Definition of an Idol
An idol is something, other than God, that masters or motivates us. Idols are false or functional gods. - Ken Sande

John Calvin said that we are experts at inventing idols. He also said that our desire typically does not lie in what we want but that we want it too much.

II. The source of our idolatry is our heart.

Their heart is false;
now whey must bear their guilt.
The Lord will bread down their altars
and destroy their pillars. (Hosea 10:2)

Your heart becomes like the things you worship.

III. Idolatry's Behavior and Attitudes

James 4:1-4- the war of desires
Galatians 5:17-26
1 John 5:21-"Dear children, keep yourselves from idols."

"Who or what rules my behavior, the Lord or a substitute?" -David Powlison

Idolatry is an exchange: God + _______ = happiness

IV. Here are a few questions to ask yourself to detect if something is an idol.
1. What do you love? Hate?
2. What do you want, desire, crave, lust, and wish for? Whose desires do you obey?
3. What do you seek, aim for, pursue? What are your goals and expectations?
4. What do you fear? What do you want? What do you worry about?
5. What do you think you need?
6. Where do you find refuge, safety, comfort, escape, pleasure, security?

V. In order to fight these idols, we must:
A. Fight to know God.
B. Utilize the tools He has given you to kill idols:
1. The Word of God and the Spirit of God
2. Prayer
3. The people of God

I know that in my own life I have a lot of idols that I need to slay. Thank goodness that God does not deny us the grace to fight our idols. We serve a jealous and loving God. He desires to be first in our lives, and He will not let another take His glory. When we allow idols to take His place, after repenting, He generously offers His grace to forgive us and lead us back to Him, the only One that can truly satisfy all our desires.