Idols, Are You Serious?

The look of surprise on the faces of the audience let me know I just hit a raw nerve. The topic? IDOLS. Perhaps, you share their shock. But please stay with me here. 

Myths surrounding idols

Idols are antiques

Idols went the way of the dinosaur

Idols vanished with ancient civilizations

Idols - like Aaron’s problem in the Sinai Desert - blew away with the sands of time

Idols were for Paul to talk about in Athens, but not for modern society

Idols are a taboo topic

Idols present no problem for today’s Christ follower

Verdict: these myths are incorrect.

Description of an idol

An idol is anything that consumes us, and takes God's place. No other person, place, thing (or thought) should usurp God’s Rightful Premier Place in my heart and life. Herein lies the scary part; an idol can be so subtle. My conclusion:

A good-thing becomes a bad-thing when a good-thing becomes a god-thing.

      Inventory of potential 21st century idols

A: Person, Project, Pastime, Plan, Pet, Possession, Profession, Position, Worry, Bank Account, Sports Team, Child, Celebrity, Career, Disappointment, Hobby, Habit, Job, To-do List, Ministry  

An: Automobile, Obsession, Enemy

Further possibilities: Exercise, Iphone, Time, Facebook, Media, Leisure, Self-focus         

When I sense a good-thing becoming a bad-thing by becoming a god-thing, a quick response is needed.

A Timeless Truth You shall have no other gods before Me. (Exodus 20:3)                                         A A Current Reality Those who cling to worthless idols forfeit the grace that could be theirs. (Jonah 2:8)     Seeking a quiet place alone with God, I open my heart to Him. I pray; I confess; I release. Then, I rejoice and turn my mind toward praise and worship of the Only One Who deserves to be worshipped. I move forward in blessed assurance of blessed forgiveness, and I move forward in the power and protection of the Holy Spirit.

Living with eternal intentionality: What idol would you add to this 21st century list?    

A Tribute to My Mother

In honor of Mother’s Day, I reiterate the words written over a decade ago to the one I am privileged to call 'Mama.'

Today I have the joy of celebrating my 50th birthday. My heart is overwhelmed with praise and thanksgiving to God for the rich and wonderful life He has given me. Topping my list of blessings is the treasure of being your daughter. Thank you for giving me life. Thank you for tirelessly meeting my needs, joyfully putting my desires before your own, and willingly giving of yourself on my behalf. Today, wherever I go and whatever I do, I am better prepared because you invested your life in equipping me to live mine.

You taught me my life was to be lived for God, and people were to be loved and served. One of my sweetest recollections growing up is your effort to teach me the 23rd Psalm for reciting in my kindergarten program. I am absolutely sure that my heart’s yearning for the Word of God goes back to that beginning. And, you taught me to sing, “Jesus Loves Me.” Every day I experience unspeakable joy in the reality of those precious, life-changing words learned so long ago.

In turning the pages of memories in my mind, I can only smile. Somehow you managed to communicate the delight and dignity of being a lady, while simultaneously giving me the freedom to be a tomboy. Skills of good grooming were taught and enforced, but getting dirty was applauded. Evening gowns and cowboy boots sharing closet space made total sense to you. The smell of gardenias, the joy of coffee with a friend, the treasure of Southern recipes, and the deep love of family I learned to appreciate from you. I am so grateful.

Thank you for the high priority you have placed on communication. You demonstrated there is simply no substitute for time spent together. All those hours logged in the car driving from our country home into town provided the perfect opportunity for meaningful conversation. Equally as valuable, I cannot recall a single event involving my participation where you did not attend. How amazing!

Whenever I have needed assistance or advice, you have been my ready confidant. You have never, and I truly mean never, been too busy for me. Distance has only served to enhance the warmth and assurance of your love and involvement in my life.

Mama, I learned from you that there is not higher calling in life that to be a wife and mother. In you, I found the perfect model. You are so incredibly unselfish. Always, you have been willing to cheerfully sacrifice for the good of our family. And, I might add, you have “written the book” on how to be the ideal grandmother. Oh that I might live to experience the awesome privilege of hearing my grandchildren say the things of me that your grandchildren say about you!

Somehow, in some incredible way, you have always made me feel loved, accepted, and valued. Security and significance have been established at the core of my being because you have made me feel so loved. What a privilege I possess in calling you my best friend.

So, this tribute is for you. It is my birthday, but it is to you I say thank you. Proverbs 31:28 states, “Her children arise and call her blessed.” May this be a day of celebration for you. You are deeply loved and eternally appreciated. To God be all the praise and glory.

I love you so very much,

Debby

September 17, 2000

Living with eternal intentionality: What is an attribute you value from your Mother, even though, perhaps, she is no longer living? 

These Verses, From a Most Personal Perspective

Pivotal people, pivotal places, and pivotal portions of Scripture…each commands a place of  priority in the life of a pilgrim.

Preparation to give a devotional for our organization’s biannual Worldwide Day of Prayer, provoked personal reflection on the dramatic impact of a pivotal portion of Scripture, These Verses from Matthew 28:18-20.

Jesus said, All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me. Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe everything that I have taught you.  And lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.

These Verses from Jesus permeate the core my spiritual DNA. These Verses shape the course of my entire life. Three personal cameos illuminate their significance:

Cameo #1: As a third grade student, at a mission’s conference in our small country church, I listened for the first time to a woman speak personally about her life serving God in Africa. That night, as a nine-year-old little girl, I believed that God wanted me to be a missionary - my embryonic encounter with These Verses.

Cameo #2: At Mississippi State University, I encountered a group of students who had a smile on their face, a song in their heart, and a spring in their step. These students also heard These Verses, and they marched to the beat of different drum. I joined their ranks, and responded to the clarion call: Come Help Change the World.  

Cameo #3: Larry’s proposal to me one November night on a swing in my parents’ yard left no doubt, Will you go with me in helping to reach the world for Christ?  

These Verses transported me to live in four countries with four cultures, and four languages.  

These Verses carried me to live behind The Iron Curtain and to see the fall of that Iron Curtain.   These verses carried me to minister in 20 countries, with 40 languages across eleven time zones - for His Kingdom and the growth of His church.

Within the context of These Verses, I experienced life as I gave birth to our son in a communist hospital; I experienced death as I stood beside my dear friend and co-laborer at the grave of her fourteen-year-old daughter, the victim of a terrorist’s bomb.

These Verses ushered me to sit among presidents, prime ministers, ambassadors, and generals in elegant settings where they heard of the King of Kings; and These Verses took me to sit beside a street urchin in a dirty Romanian train station to tell him of the love of Jesus.  

These Verses led me to take my place both in an orderly line at a lavish buffet, and to take my place in a ration line to buy meat and bread.

Practically speaking, These Verses resulted in                                                                         Grinding meat in my kitchen to make hamburgers with meat purchased on the local black market Grinding peanuts to provide my family with peanut butter                                                     Grinding eggshells to come up with Vitamin D needed in my pregnancy T

These Verses necessitated                                                                                                        stitches in Polish,                                                                                                                                          broken arms in German,                                                                                                              MRI           MRI in Hungarian.

These Verses gave me  a front row seat to witness the power of The Gospel at work in                   Dorm rooms                                                                                                                                   Hospital rooms                                                                                                                             Classrooms                                                                                                                               Auditoriums                                                                                                                           Playgrounds                                                                                                                                   Sports arenas                                                                                                                                     Park benches                                                                                                                           Vegetable stands                                                                                                                         Refugee camps                                                                                                                                   Over the Internet                                                                                                                                     In parliaments

I observed the power of These Verses at work when the temperature was so hot I could hardly breathe, and so cold my breath froze as it entered my lungs.

I watched the supernatural power of These Verses overtake an entire city; I watched the supernatural power of These Verses overtake a single soul.

And,                                                                                                                                                   Under the banner of These Verses, I have discovered the greatness of God. He Who said, And lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age has overwhelmingly kept His Commitment. Furthermore,                                                                                                                                           In the context of trekking to the ends of the earth with These Verses to change the world, I have seen These Verses change me.

Living with eternal intentionality: What verses has God used in your life to make you the person you are today?