I know I can’t be the only one that reads her Bible, and shakes her head at the Israelites. Rolling my eyes and saying, “look at them”, or making the face (you know what I’m talking about) thinking how could they. Only to realize, Honey, you are not much different! Let’s face it, our flesh are little idol machines…. Taking grab of anything that gives us a little instant gratification. We love to love things, and sometimes it’s not even malicious. Most of my trouble with idols, came from not putting my identity in Christ…. I couldn’t understand why everything was hard. Motherhood, my marriage, everything. It wasn’t until I learned that my true identity was in Him. That if put all my eggs in any basket of this fallen world, there will absolutely be disappointment. No wonder everything felt hard! It is the complete opposite of the yoke Jesus offers us; “For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light” (Matthew 11: 30, ESV).
Everything we do, should be to glorify God, and anything that is getting in the way of that needs attention, prayer, and repentance. Life though is a journey, and while I leaned to serve my family joyfully (even if they don’t eat the meal I worked hard on), give my marriage to the Lord to do what work he needs to do, I still found myself having turning good hearted thing into idols. So how does this article involve organic strawberries you may ask? Well, you could imagine the wake-up moment I had after having a panic attack at my local grocery. Nearly glitching wanting to buy the regular strawberries because the organic ones were too expensive. Wanting the organic because I want the best thing for my kids, all to watch the mom pass by with the happy kids enjoying a cake pop! I ended up leaving without a single strawberry because I felt so overwhelmed by the decision. It was that moment that I realized buying organic had become a sneaky idol for me.
I’m sure most moms can relate about wanting the best for your children. I am pretty, what do they call it, “crunchy”. I don’t like to put titles on things! You know, because they can become your identity and all 😉 It’s pretty obvious the food at the market has it’s issues. We try to do our best at my house, but sometimes the internet is exhausting. I talk about the comparison trap with homeschooling (here), but I can only take social media bits at a time! I also think we have a responsibility to remove ourselves from situations that can become sinful. Let’s not forget, that all sin separates us from God. It’s not for us to determine a little sin vs. a big sin. I remember driving home and recapping what had just happened. Not me also being proud of my organic cart…. woof. Check your pride there Whit! I knew something had to change, and I never thought I would be on my hands and knees over organic strawberries.
So, how can we identify idols in our life? Think about anything that takes you away from Jesus. Is there something that you do instead of reading your Bible? Is there something or someone that makes you do things you know you shouldn’t, therefore separating from the Lord? My list was a little longer than I was proud to admit, but with prayer God had no problem removing some! But mommas, just know that we really can only do our best. Obviously my first pick would be from my garden, but I’m not sure I was blessed with the green thumb. When fresh organic fruit is not an option I like to head to the frozen fruit aisle. I also have some picky eaters, but they have no problem putting away a green smoothie. They have no clue that what they are drinking is the definition of health so it’s a win win! Here are some of our favorite smoothie combos:
- Spinach, Blueberry, Banana, Dates, PB
- Spinach, Strawberry, Banana, PB
- Spinach, Mixed Berry, Yogurt, Banana
- Whatever is in the freezer and add 2 dates lol
So, friends, I think we have some homework to do. If nothing is coming to mind, pray over it. I have been convicted in the best ways sometimes at the strangest moments. Literally organic strawberries lead me to repentance! Jesus has us friends, but he doesn’t call us to anxiety and fear. Feed your family, and love them. They truly are a blessing from above. Until next time…
Keep Growing,
Whit