A friend gave me this book “Love Idol“” by Jennifer Dukes Lee. I have picked it up now and then reading a chapter here and there. I enjoy it because of the similarities with her being a farm wife, and living in Iowa. But when I got to chapter 8 called “Preapproved”, I felt as though it was the Spirit working and moving and reminding me not to lose my focus.
It states, “Dear God, help me get over myself today.” Ring. Ring. “Getting over myself is the only way of getting more into God….he must become greater and greater, and I must become less and less.” The idea is to become self-less right?
“Eyes cannot look in two different directions. I want mine on Jesus – not on yesterday’s failures or successes, not on today’s agenda, and definitely not on the world’s scorecards.” Whew, what a relief because my to-do list is only getting longer.
“My prayer regimen is a small act of surrender.” A constant and continual act to be reminded of daily. “We need the Spirit’s help to return back to a place of repentance and renewal.” God puts reminders in our path each day. They can be as obvious as communion (the taking of bread and wine) or as abstract as a patterned puffy white cloud formation. “We need daily saving grace to keep us from falling.”
“For I want to get well. And I am. I am getting well.” The Holy Spirit is helping me to heal and grow.
Jesus offers us his grace. He asks us to turn away and repent from sin – which is recognizing our sin, putting it to a hault, and asking the Lord for forgiveness. What are those idols that keep knocking on the front door to try and steer you off path? Can you identify some in your life?
Insecurities, inequities, acceptance, praise, love we hope to seek from others?
“Everything I long for is already mine in Christ.”
The best part is – “I have been preapproved. Already preapproved. Already accepted with nothing I have to prove.” Now, that’s a pretty freeing thought isn’t it?
“I have already been forgiven” (Acts 13:38).
“I already have a co-heir with Christ” (Romans 8:17).
“I have already been chosen” (John 15:16).
As I have been telling my five year-old, “The Lord loves you, and he chose you – even before you were born.”
Let these verses resonate in you today.
“The only way to dispossess (the heart) of an old affection, is by the expulsive power of a new one. When we uproot our idols, we make room for God. We discover a love that is already ours.”
