It can be easy to believe that we don’t have any idols when we aren’t held captive by addictions to drugs, alcohol, or sex. However, Steve Arterburn says that we all struggle with idols that are more subtle and still dangerous.
“Sometimes we look at people who are addicted or have compulsive behavior and we think ‘man, those people really need help,’ but at the same time we are holding onto what appears to be good things because they provide for us a false sense of security.”
Each of us need to evaluate our lives for what we are relying on instead of God. He uses the example of putting away money for retirement.
“Let’s oversimplify it. Let’s say you are saving up for retirement. That’s a good thing, but maybe you have plenty of money, more than you really need. Maybe if you really trusted God you would give up some of those stacks. You would be fine in your retirement, but you are still holding on to it.”
According to Steve, Satan is more than capable of using even good gifts from God to distract us from Him.
“He’s getting your focus off of God and getting you to not trust Him with everything. You’re really trusting more in financial resources than you are in the Lord. Satan takes some of the best things and he can use them to captivate our heart, mind, and spirit. They look so good, but Satan is just absolutely genius at turning them against us.”
Even the best gifts can cause trouble if we elevate them above God in our lives.
“We need to be sure we are the deciders in our lives, we’re the defenders of our own value in our lives so that God is really in control. He is the director of it all. We don’t want to surrender to anything in this world other than Him.”
Steve Arterburn is the founder and chairman of New Life Ministries and host of the # 1 nationally syndicated Christian counseling talk show “New Life Live!” heard and watched by 3 million people each weekday on 200 radio stations nationwide and on Sirius/XM radio and on the NRB television network. Steve is host of New Life TV, a web-based channel dedicated to transforming lives through God’s truth.
Key Scripture: Ephesians 3:20
Featured Songs: Show ‘Em What You’re Worth – Mandisa; Not Today – Hillsong United; Unfinished – Mandisa
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