Welcome to week two of defeating the idols that battle for your heart. The following writings come from Kyle Idleman’s book, “Gods at War”. I encourage you to read this book for yourself to dig deeper into areas God may be wanting to pierce your heart, creating in you a clean heart.

Jesus My Satisfaction

The god of sex promised us satisfaction, yet he left us lonely and ashamed.

He lured and enticed us by distorting what was designed to be a gift and a blessing. He made it seem as if nothing could be more satisfying than the quick release of physical urges. Yet nothing could have left us feeling smaller and weaker — as if those urges defined who we were, as if we were beasts of the field and no more.

Then we came to Jesus, who offers the greatest joy imaginable — so much greater and fuller than any physical impulse. We could see for the first time that the pursuit of the god of sex was never about love at all. It reduced others to mere objects to be used for our personal pleasure. But the love of Jesus finds its greatest satisfaction in service rather than use of others. It exalts them. It affirms them as children of God. It connects with them in body, soul, mind, and spirit, rather than simple base instinct. 

Jesus is our satisfaction. All along, it was intimacy we really wanted, and he gives us that. When we have a love relationship with him, an unending honeymoon commences. Christ grows more wonderful to us every day.

Not that sex is put aside. On the contrary, it takes on a beauty and resonance we never could have imagined — the opposite of shame. We have been designed so that the level of intimacy we can have with our spouse is directly related to the depth of intimacy we have with Christ. Sexual intimacy as God designed it takes a human relationship to a whole new level, because we’re not using one another; we’re delighting in one another. The god of sex dehumanized us; Christ restores our wholeness and makes the two of us one flesh — so much the greater than the sum of our parts — as we seek him together.

The god of sex offers a counterfeit joy that becomes more elusive through time, ever harder to please, ever closer to emptiness. But the love of Christ only opens up to deeper joys, becoming ever greater.

Sexual pleasure, rightly viewed, is a rich gift that shows how much God loves us. But its ecstasy is only a foretaste of divine glory, a hint of the eternal pleasure of knowing, loving, and serving Christ. He is our true satisfaction.

For the next nine weeks, I will be sharing the closing statements from one of the most eye opening books I have ever read on idols. Gods at War by Kyle Idleman digs deep into becoming aware of and defeating the idols that battle for our hearts. I encourage you to read this book for yourself to take a closer look and discover what areas in life you could be making an idol. Kyle states, “Idols are defeated not by being removed but by being replaced.” Isn’t it time to replace the things that are devouring our souls with the very God that is the lover of our souls?

Jesus My Portion

The god of food promised us a feast, but we came up empty. He invited us to consume until it consumed our lives. We tasted everything until nothing had taste anymore.

And so finally we came to Jesus. We discovered that he offers the one true feast. He fills our every need. Every hunger ultimately leads back to him.

David wrote, “Lord, you alone are my portion and my cup; you make my lot secure” (Psalms 16:5).

Jesus frees us from abusive, dysfunctional relationship with food because he is our portion and in him we discover what we were searching for all along. If we seek joy and meaning in food, then the source of our joy always disappears and always must be found again–a consumable god. It is different with Jesus.

Nothing tastes better than the joy and satisfaction of knowing Christ. Nothing nourishes the soul as he does. Nothing feeds and strengthens and renews us like the time we spend with him each day.

He bids us to take and eat. He bids us to come to the well where he offers living water, so that we never thirst again.

Think of a time when you’ve come in from the hot sun, drenched with sweat and with a parched throat, and downed a cool glass of ice water. Did anything ever taste better?

Such a moment is no more than a vague hint of what it feels like to be spiritually starving and to be given the bread of life, to have a thirsty soul and to drink deep from his living water.

Ironically, it is only when we find our meaning in Christ, when he takes the throne of our lives, that earthly food recovers its taste, its delight. In its right place food is a great gift from God.