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Are You Violent For or Against Your Idols?
A gracious woman gets honor,
and violent men get riches.
Proverbs 11:16
What do you care more about: money or honor?
In the last week have you given more thought to your budget, earning potential, and path to success or to how you can bless other people?
The point is not for you to feel guilty, instead, it’s to look at the state of your heart.
Are you being violent for your idol?
Proverbs 11:16 paints a clear picture of a sweet, gracious woman, and ambitious, violent men. These violent men aren’t receiving bad things from their violence—they’re actually benefiting from their evil. They want, so they take.
Idols are in danger of losing their power over you when brought into light prayerfully in community.
What are you willing to throw someone under the bus for? If it’s to pass blame on a bad decision you made, you may idolize success and be willing to be violent to defend your idol. If it’s taking advantage of someone to make a buck, you’re willing to be violent for your idol of money. If it’s sacrificing your family’s unity to chase your lust, sex may be an idol that you’re willing to sacrifice your family for.
Examine your heart
We tend to rationalize the evil inclinations of our hearts, and are tempted to manage our sin so it doesn’t get unacceptably bad. We’re willing to be a little bit violent to protect our idols.
Your idols fall before God
In the book of 1 Samuel we see the Philistines make a tactical mistake—they don’t understand the power of God. They bring the ark of the Lord into the temple of their idol, Dagon, and are surprised when the carved idol falls face down in front of the ark.
Today is a good day to stop pretending and bring the truth of Scripture into the dark corners of your heart. Idols are in danger of losing their power over you when brought into light prayerfully in community.
It is a good day to call a Christian friend and ask them to help you address an idol you’re seeing repeatedly in your life.
Get honor, not riches
Sometimes the violent man gets rich, but the grace-giving person always gets honor. Let’s be violent in our grace-giving, and let’s be violent against our idols. These are great responses to how graceful God has been to us.