NOG - pg. 49.
"For the most part, we're afraid of being afraid. So perhaps fear isn't a primary god but the guard that stands outside the castle where the primary god lives. In other terms, fear protects our idols."
HOW DOES FEAR PROTECT OUR IDOLS?
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Because one of my functional gods is security, my fear is, naturally, a lack of security. I have experienced this lack before, so I am very reluctant to going down this road again. Unfortunately, this results in depending upon myself and not on God to meet my needs. Does anyone else experience this?
I would say perfectionism and wanting to be in control keep me from living "abundantly". Fear is finding out that I have little or no control and having other people discover that I may not be the person they think I am.
I have a few fears that protects my
Idols...
I have all ways been afraid that I don't look like the person I look at in the mirror, let me explain...
I have a huge scare from when I was burned as a child, and I was told that it made me ugly, so I have been fighting that fear since I was very little... I try to hide behind my hair, and I am a lot heavier than Ishould be and so I have stacked that fear on top of the others...
My fear is that I will not be in control of things if I give up my idol of independence. It means Someone Else is in charge and though He is sovereign, I still fight the desire.
My fear is that I will lose the approval of other people. So much of what I do is designed to make sure people approve of me. The fear of disapproval protects my idol - the opinion of others. I stress over my extra baby weight, my bad hair - I even dress my children cute so others will admire the way they look, and the time and effort I take to have them be all coordinated and cute! I don't invite people over, because my house is a wreck (I'm not very good at managing it with three kids...)and I'm worried what they will think of me. I have been an obsessive nail biter since junior high, and I can trace that habit back to my anxiety over what a boy said about me in front of others when he found out I had a crush on him - it was NOT positive.
And yes, Cheri, I too depend upon myself and not God to meet my needs. Unfortunately, most of the time it never even occurs to me to ask Him to meet them. I just charge ahead with my own way.
Kentucky Siestas -- I'm sorry to pop in but I'm trying to reach Traci. Can you get an email to her and ask her to email Mary at MarySnydr@aol.com
My fear is not being accpeted or loved my others. Because of this I will overeat and hide behind my eating. I look to the food and pleasure of whatever I am eating to bring me comfort and peace. I also go to great lenghts to please everyone around me. When I think I have upset someone or "failed" then the whole cycle starts again.
With this study, I am trying to turn to Christ instead of the food, but will admit that I am struggling at times.
My fear is that I will not be able to use my knowledge in my career. I am also afraid of not getting my dreams.
I am like Melinda in that I struggle with what other people think of me. I hadn't realized how much it colors what I think and do until we started this study. (Or at least I thought I had gotten over most of it. Apparently I just stuck it in the very back of the closet and hoped it would go away.) Although I believe God, I have a hard time accepting that God treasures me. Does that make sense? I suspect that if I were able to accept that, I might not rely so much on the approval of others.
I completely understand - the idea that God treasures me is very hard to believe. I know it's true, but making it a part of my daily awareness and allowing it to influence how I live and think is pretty foreign.
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