By Kathleen Steele 
 

Dec.30, 2003

 
 

IGardenIdolsSteele
Idols In My Life???? 
Kathleen Steele
Email:  windofgod@hotmail.com
Posted from Rivermail

As I have been sitting here, 
I was reading about the idols 
that the Israelites had a hard time 
staying away from. 

And in MY pride, I thought...... 
I would not do that to YOU LORD. 
And HIS reply was, 
"You do it now, everyday," 
And I thought, OH NO- I DO NOT!!! 
I DO NOT DO WHAT THEY DID!!! 
But I heard the same words again, 
from HIM, "YOU do it now!" 

And I thought to myself,HOW?? 
HOW do I do that? 
I do not have any graven images before me. 
I do not have an idol in my home. 
I do not have anything,I think is better than GOD. 
I do not............and in mid-sentence, I stopped! 
I realized that I had pride in myself, 
and is that not an idol, 
that you cannot see? 

Then I thought of the new ring 
that I just got, 
better than I deserve, 
YET, I cannot get my eyes off of it. 
I try to protect it, 
I hide it so no one may steal it. 
I misplaced it once, 
and went insane trying to find it. 
Is that not one of my idols? 
I now, if I misplace it I say~ 
"OK, GOD, if I lost it,I did not need it. 
I had the pleasure of it for awhile." 

I have a TV show I can not miss! 
I have to watch it, in fact I tape it, 
so I will not miss it. 
I HAVE TO SEE IT, 
over other things, 
even hurrying home early from church!!!!! 
Wanting to leave YOU there LORD. 
Is that one of my idols? 
Now if I miss it, I say, 
"I can see the reruns if they show it. 
For it is only a show!" 

My child, I watch over as a hawk. 
They cannot do anything without me. 
As I say yes or no and checking out everything 
before them------not letting them live. 
Is that one of my idols? 
Now I say, 
"LORD, they are YOUR child first, 
and YOU love them more. 
So You watch over them. 
I trust YOU!" 

I have a thing in my house, 
that NO one had better break!! 
I value it so much. 
How could I replace it? 
When people come to my home, 
they admire it so much, 
which makes me strut! 
Is that one of my idols? 
Now I say, if it breaks, 
I at least had the memory of it. 

I love my mate so very much, 
and do not think I can live without them. 
For they are my security blanket. 
Is that one of my idols? 
Then one day I had to be willing to give them 
back to YOU GOD, for I will see them again. 
And I learned to trust YOU as my security. 

I got a new car, 
and boy---NO ONE had better scratch it, 
so I park at the farthest parking spot. 
I could not stand it being anything but perfect! 
Is that one of my idols? 
So then I got my first scratch, 
and thought...........it is only a car! 
And it protected me, from harm. 
So LORD, thank YOU that I had it. 
As it was from YOU, 
as all things are gifts from YOU! 

Then as I look back on my idols. 
I never thought of them before! 
Because I thought they had to be a figure! 
A calf, or half fish and half man, or a figure of a fat man. 
I thought they had to be able to be touched, 
or seen----then....... 
I realized that they could be anything! 
ANYTHING I PLACED BEFORE YOU LORD! 
Yet----even thoughts in my head, 
I found are sometimes idols. 
Pride is a bad one! 
I had pride in myself!! 
I was an idol............... 
I thought more of me than GOD! 

Now, I do not think I could have done better, 
than the Israelites, in fact, I would have been worse!!! 
My idols were hidden in my heart. 
Not out on a shelf for all to see. 

"Forgive me LORD, for I have had idols in my life. 
I will try to guard my heart for just YOU,from now on!" 
 

By Kathleen Steele Dec.30, 2003