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All who believe in Jesus Christ as Lord, God, King and Savior have been redeemed by His sacrifice on the cross. We are more fortunate than we can even imagine - all believers.

Amen!

Even sincere Christians can practice idolatry. As you once commented, we do it every day when we put something or someone either ahead of or on the same level as the Triune God.

Truly said.

Whether a beloved spouse, child, self, things or whatever - for however long something is as important to us as God (or more so) - we are idolators.

And the thing which has robbed God of our undivided love can even be unpleasant, e.g. a stubbed toe, anger, self-pity.

Even something as subtle as worry reveals that, for as long as we are worried, we are not trusting God and believing Him.

Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.

But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day [is] the evil thereof. - Matt 6:31-34

Truly, there is only One Great Commandment:

Then one of them, [which was] a lawyer, asked [him a question], tempting him, and saying, Master, which [is] the great commandment in the law?

Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.

This is the first and great commandment.

And the second [is] like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.

On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets. – Matthew 22:35-40

Thank you so much for your encouragements, dear sister in Christ!

THANKS TONS! WHOLESALE AGREE YET AGAIN:

Amen!

DR E:
Even sincere Christians can practice idolatry. As you once commented, we do it every day when we put something or someone either ahead of or on the same level as the Triune God.

Truly said.

Whether a beloved spouse, child, self, things or whatever - for however long something is as important to us as God (or more so) - we are idolators.

And the thing which has robbed God of our undivided love can even be unpleasant, e.g. a stubbed toe, anger, self-pity.

Even something as subtle as worry reveals that, for as long as we are worried, we are not trusting God and believing Him.

But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day [is] the evil thereof. - Matt 6:31-34

Truly, there is only One Great Commandment:

Then one of them, [which was] a lawyer, asked [him a question], tempting him, and saying, Master, which [is] the great commandment in the law?
Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.
This is the first and great commandment.
And the second [is] like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets. – Matthew 22:35-40

Thank you so much for your encouragements, dear sister in Christ!

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Qx:

INDEED.

AND, as Oswald Chambers quoted, I think someone else, THE GOOD IS THE ENEMY OF THE BEST. As you noted . . . loving even one's spouse or children equal to or more than God is idolatry. Yet it is good to love one's spouse and children intensely.

I think God's Spirit alone can clue us in where the dividing line is FOR EACH OF US--AND THAT LINE CHANGES--day to day, moment by moment. ONLY HOLY SPIRIT can exhort us reliably on that.

The great spiritually dangerous hazard is . . . to take such things for granted and to ASSUME that THE GOOD is safe and righteous in God's eyes. He IS THE BEST and EXPECTS THE BEST AND IS CERTAINLY WORTHY THE BEST.

Whether a beloved spouse, child, self, things or whatever - for however long something is as important to us as God (or more so) - we are idolators.

And the thing which has robbed God of our undivided love can even be unpleasant, e.g. a stubbed toe, anger, self-pity.

Good post,dear sister.

What GK Chesterton says about this makes very good sense as well...

"Idolatry is committed, not merely by setting up false gods, but also by setting up false devils; by making men afraid of war or alcohol, or economic law, when they should be afraid of spiritual corruption and cowardice."-G.K. Chesterton