Years ago, I became obsessed with the idea of having a baby. It was time for us to have children—in my mind—and nothing was going to stop me. I had waited six years already for Greg to have a job with insurance benefits, and he finally had it. So as soon as the insurance thing was out of the way, there was no time to waste!
I didn’t really stop to ask Greg what he wanted or if he had concerns. I assumed there was no way this couldn’t be God’s will. The only thing I could see was my goal—motherhood. I pressured and forced my way into motherhood rather than allowing Greg to have a voice and be part of the process, too. If he had any hesitation, he was obviously “fighting God’s will.”
Once our first baby was born, my life revolved around him so much that Greg felt very left out, I found out later. I was also “the expert parent.” After all, I was the one who read all the baby-care websites and articles. I knew the latest medical advice. I took over everything that had to do with taking care of our baby because I could do it “better” than Greg.
My child had become my idol—the driving force behind what I did.
Most of us balk at the idea that our children may be an idol, but it’s easy to fall into allowing our status as parents to define us. Our culture applauds those who center their lives around their children. We may not even realize we are idolizing our children.
An idol is anything in my life that takes precedence over God and His plans. But it is sometimes difficult to identify when we’ve pushed God off the throne of our hearts. For me, fear is often a signal that I am cherishing something in my heart more than Christ. When I see a lot fear, I know I need to lay that issue before God on the altar in my mind and leave it with Him.
When I try to fill up my deepest needs with anyone or anything other than God, I will be very disappointed. It is not that I have to take my children out of my life. It is just that my motives, thoughts, and priorities have to change to honor the Lord. When my children are not my idols, then I can more easily have the healthy relationship with them that I always wanted.
Lord, I acknowledge that I have been putting my desires for my children above You in my heart, and that is sin. I acknowledge my sin of unbelief in You, Lord. I don’t want to put anything above You in my heart. Help me to tear down these idols. Help me to build my life and faith on Christ, Your truth, and Your Word alone.
Amen.
