False and Functional gods

So, last post I mentioned that my roommate and I are in a Bible Study with 3 other amazing girls (well maybe I didn't say they were amazing before, but they ARE). We are in our first week of "NO OTHER GODS: confronting our modern-day idols" (by Kelly Minter), and I just wanted to share something that was from one of the first days. Obviously we all "know" what an idol is. But this definition threw me flat-faced at the thought of those things I know have taken priority where they shouldn't.

"Most of us think of an idol as a statue of wood, stone, or metal worshiped by pagan people...In biblical terms, it is something other than God that we set out heart on (Luke 12:29; 11 Cor. 10:9), that motivates us (1 Cor. 4:5), that masters and rules us (Ps. 119:133; Eph 5:5), or that we trust, fear, or serve (Isa. 42:17; Matt 6:24; Luke 12:4-5)...An idol can also be referred to as a "false god" or a functional god."
{Ken Sande}

Just soak all of those different idol possibilities in for a minute. Wow...I've got some things to add to my list. I wish I could say that everything I do is from 'pure' motivation, but let's face it, we are human and selfish and that is NOT always the case. Often we have things that we know are idols in our life--our 'professed' gods, if you will. But then we have 'functional' gods that actually operate as our gods. Those are sometimes the ones that sneak in on us because they are more subtle, but we are nonetheless serving them. For instance, I wouldn't automatically think of "fear" as an idol, until I consider that if it is what motivates my decision or action in a certain circumstance, then I am serving that FEAR as a (functional) god. The tricky thing about idols (especially those less noticed or realized) is that they are often inherently good and right, but they have become detrimental simply because we desire them TOO much.

I have spent some time meditating on what motivates me and takes up more of my heart and mind than should be, and it has been pretty eye-opening. Scary at first, but then beautiful as you realize what an even greater need you have for the Lord to work in you--more than you knew before. Again my thoughts were taken back to Gen. 35:4 (see previous post) where we are reminded to BURY our false gods...not ignore or suppress them (which we often see as burial, but we are really just kidding ourselves--pretending to deal with things)...but call up the funeral home and make it a done deal. Good news: you don't even have to waste time buying flowers. ;)