With each passing season, it seems my life goes into different seasons as well. Times of joy, times of struggle, times of freedom, times of captivity. And God seems to name each of these life-seasons too - He gives it a theme, of sorts. The season of my life this summer is "Make Room". I'm finally starting to clean out some closets - eliminating clutter and stuff. Also, I have been participating in a bible study, "No Other Gods" by Kelly Minter. This bible study has opened my eyes to idol worship. I'm not sure I've ever truly understood what that meant - I mean, I don't have a carved, wooden or golden image I bow down to. So what does idol worship look like in our culture today? Well, let me tell you, it comes in all forms. Anything that has taken residence in my heart - that takes the place of God - that I'm dependent upon - that is an idol. And God is revealing to me places of my heart that I've been withholding from Him. Oh, how I've been humbled, broken-hearted, convicted and redeemed. I love that Jesus never stops redeeming me. 'Cause I'm in constant need of redemption!
My point is that God is telling me to make room for Him. Over the past several years, He has been refining me, purifying my faith, growing my heart and passion for Him. But there is also spaces in my heart that I've reserved - for self-protection, out of fear. He is saying - "Give me all of your heart - hold nothing back from me". And as if to put an exclamation point on all of this, He allowed my husband to lose his job last week. As if to say - let me show you how serious I am about this. And I don't mean that in a wrath, judgment kind of way. I mean, it's like God is saying, let me show you who I Am and what I have planned for you! We aren't prepared for this. But God is.
"Let go and make room for Me, Tiffany. I am and there is none besides Me."
I'm letting go of the idol of financial security. I lay it on your altar, Lord. Father, continue to reveal what has my worship when it isn't You. Make room in me - in my heart, my mind, my house, my life.
Side note: There's a passage in the study about conviction. You know, being conviced to cease doing something or start doing something else. Kelly wrote about a friend who shared about being convicted by the Holy Spirit to stop watching a particular TV show. She joked about looking for loopholes and what a bummer it was to not "get" to watch it anymore. Then Kelly went on to say that being convicted by God in some area is actually exciting and cause for joy. It means that God wants to do something with that time - with the space that gets created by the absence of that particular activity. Wow! A-ha moment for me. So jump for joy, ladies, when you are convicted by the Spirit - it means God is up to something with you!!!
