I don’t set out to worship such a lesser god, it just kind of happens.
I have a bad day, a bad week, maybe even a year (or 6), and I start piling up my offenses and misfortunes, sadness-makers and terrible no-good very bad things that come at me in life. Before I know it, I have a massive structure piled high of multiple reasons to doubt God and entertain despair.
The more I pile up my stuff, the worse I feel. What about you? Do you do this too? What about the women you serve? Do they? Let’s tear these altars down. Here’s how:
1. Identify your altar.
Don’t be like those Old Testament kings who refused to remove the high places. List your offenses, disappointments and tragedies on a piece of paper. Let them spill out of your mind and your heart. If you’ve only experienced one major tragedy, make your list of all the ways that one thing has wreaked havoc in your life.
2. Pray this prayer.
Lord, I confess that this is a pile of hurt that I’ve allowed to become an altar of disappointment. I don’t want to be this person who worships at this altar. Forgive me for building an altar that casts shadows on my faith and clouds my ability to see your face. I want to tear this altar down. For You, for me, for Jesus’ sake. Please help me take this altar apart. In Jesus’ Name I pray. Amen.
3. Now, take each item one at a time, and answer these questions:
How did God reveal Himself to you on that day (when that happened, at that time)?
Who came alongside you to ease your pain?
What insight or understanding did you gain from that experience?
What are you able to do now that you could not do before?
4. Don’t leave even one stone on that altar.
It might take you a while, but disassemble that mess and rename each stone. For instance, my “cancer” stone was renamed, “confident in my heavenly home,” and “outpouring of love” and “able to comfort others.” With that one stone, I have three new ones.
Now, put these new stones together and worship our one true God who is working all these things together for your good and His glory.
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