April Idol Treasures

April is here, and it is now less than six weeks until graduation! Oy ve, this time has passed by quickly. It seems like only a few weeks ago I was living in the dorms, eating panninis at Mean Green Cafeteria.

Unfortunately, I have not had much time to blog lately nor really known what to say (hence no blog last month). It has been an incredible semester, and not because of anything I have done on my own.

This past month, a big issue brought to the forefront in my own life was the idols I had placed before Him. I guess I had been blind for quite some time to the things I put before Christ. I have had to recognize and lay down some things that have in some way interfered with my relationship with Him - my obsession with success and perfection, my many insecurities, and my concerns about the future. I allowed my thoughts to too often dwell on these subjects, causing anxiousness and loneliness within me. In the Bible, we are called to trust in Him completely. Our anxieties reveal the insecurity of our hearts, the lack of reliance on His promise to provide for our every need. I'm not saying my idols have disappeared from my life completely now - I still must take up my cross each day, but I am more able to recognize them when they do come up and fervently pray and seek after God to remove them from my heart and mind.

Tonight, I went to an I Am Second group through UNT for the first time. In particular, the issue of storing up treasures on earth was addressed. Nothing we own on this earth is ours to claim - it all belongs to Him. If we can only wrap our minds around this concept, maybe we would stop being so concerned about material possessions, maybe we would give more to those in need around us, maybe we would realize life is short and unpredictable and material possessions cannot be relied upon for happiness and fulfillment.

Food for thought: consider examining the things in your life you have placed before Christ, work on laying them down, and see what ways He uses you in the weeks to come. I think you will be amazed by the freedom you receive in giving your idols up, no matter how precious or important they seem in the moment. If our lives are "but a vapor," imagine how much less important and minute these things we place before Christ are in the big scheme of things. Our short-lived desires and lusts are nothing compared to the enduring quality of our Lord Jesus Christ.