CAUGHT IN MY OWN TRAP
DAY 110: As a young mom I took the plunge and splurged on a cell phone not long after they became a consumer staple. Some of my friends had one and many did not - I'm that old. It was a luxury some just could not justify. I, of course, got one for the sake of my children. With a cell phone with us at all times I would be able to get help in case of emergencies.
You know what happened. The definition of "emergency" quickly changed to include things like, "I just found the cutest pair of shoes and I need to call my friend immediately to tell her." It seemed every month I was having to increase my minute limit as my "need" for my phone increased. In the day before unlimited minutes I was soon trapped by high phone bills and the lure of phone upgrades.
I wish I could say that I have gotten my "addiction" under control, but now with unlimited talk and text, me and my iPhone are happy in our dysfunctional relationship. What was back up in case of an emergency is now a service intricately weaved into every aspect of my life. If I'm not talking or texting for personal or business use, or managing my email, calendar and photos, then I am searching for where I left the infernal thing. I fell into a trap I innocently set for myself when I bought my very first flip phone and I haven't gotten out yet.
Sometimes decisions we make with good intentions can still trip us up. As we keep reading in Judges, our newly inducted "warrior" Gideon found that out on the heels of his major victories. Just as God had declared, the timid wheat thresher became a mighty warrior, defeating 135,000 enemy fighters with just 300 volunteers. God wanted it to be very clear that it would not be in their own strength that Israel saved themselves, but by God's might.
Judges 7 & 8 describe a spectacular victory that turned Gideon into a national hero. Even though it was obvious that God had intervened, the people lauded Gideon instead.
"Be our King!" the begged. "But Gideon replied, "I will not rule over you, nor will my son. The Lord will rule over you." (8:22)
Gideon deflected their worship where it belonged - to God. He refused to take the glory that rightfully belonged to the Almighty. He did ask for one thing.
"I do have one request, that each of you give me an earring from your share of the plunder.' (It was the custom of the Ishmaelites to wear gold earrings.) (8:24)
With the more than forty pounds of gold he received in tribute, Gideon set a trap for himself and his nation. Mind you, that is not what he intended to do but that was the result. For whatever reason was in his heart, Gideon took the gold and crafted into an "ephod." This was either a special gold garment similar to what only the priests were to wear as they were the chosen ministers before God; or it was an image of some kind. Irregardless, the real issue is what he and the people did with this object.
"Gideon made the gold into an ephod, which he placed in Ophrah, his
town. All Israel prostituted themselves by worshiping it there, and it
became a snare to Gideon and his family." (8:27)
Gideon would not let the people worship him, so they turned their worship to the object Gideon created and set up in his personal town. I imagine that the people made pilgrimages to come and worship it. It probably caused a financial boon in his town. Even though he refused being their ruler, the creator of the ephod was clearly revered - "it became a snare to Gideon and his family."
They were trapped by their own "good deeds." His spiritual offering became a spiritual snare. On the outside everything looked fine; in fact the land enjoyed peace for the next 40 years while Gideon lived, but the trap was set. "As soon as Gideon was dead, the Israelites prostituted themselves worshiping the images of Baal, making Baal-berith their god." (8:33)
Gideon and all those around him made a habit and a practice out of focusing on a spiritual symbol rather than on God. It was natural that they would move next to worshiping other things.
What a wake up call for me! It is very easy to focus on symbols of my love for God - symbols like serving at my church, my actual church, missions trips, blogging through the Bible, going to prayer group, being a Godly mom, giving my finances, teaching the Bible, sharing the gospel ... you get the picture. You probably have your own list of "ephods" set up in your "town" that command your attention more than God. They are those things to which we make pilgrimages to prove our devotion to God. If we don't watch out, like Gideon, they could become a trap - a substitute for worshiping God himself. We could wind up worshiping our acts of worship until God is crowded out completely. We could end up putting ourselves (in the form of our good work) at the center of our worship.
How do I know if I am doing that? I can start by asking myself:
The answers to those question might indicate if I have fallen into my own trap. To be honest, I think perhaps in some places I have. Before others get trapped with me, it is time to untangle from the things that have captured my heart, time, attention and worship away from God. If I don't do it now, I will certainly see the consequences later.
Day 110 of 365
Judges 8:18-35
Judges 9:1-21
Luke 23:44-56
Luke 24:1-12
Psalm 99:1-9
Proverbs 14:9-10
You know what happened. The definition of "emergency" quickly changed to include things like, "I just found the cutest pair of shoes and I need to call my friend immediately to tell her." It seemed every month I was having to increase my minute limit as my "need" for my phone increased. In the day before unlimited minutes I was soon trapped by high phone bills and the lure of phone upgrades.
I wish I could say that I have gotten my "addiction" under control, but now with unlimited talk and text, me and my iPhone are happy in our dysfunctional relationship. What was back up in case of an emergency is now a service intricately weaved into every aspect of my life. If I'm not talking or texting for personal or business use, or managing my email, calendar and photos, then I am searching for where I left the infernal thing. I fell into a trap I innocently set for myself when I bought my very first flip phone and I haven't gotten out yet.
Sometimes decisions we make with good intentions can still trip us up. As we keep reading in Judges, our newly inducted "warrior" Gideon found that out on the heels of his major victories. Just as God had declared, the timid wheat thresher became a mighty warrior, defeating 135,000 enemy fighters with just 300 volunteers. God wanted it to be very clear that it would not be in their own strength that Israel saved themselves, but by God's might.
Judges 7 & 8 describe a spectacular victory that turned Gideon into a national hero. Even though it was obvious that God had intervened, the people lauded Gideon instead.
"Be our King!" the begged. "But Gideon replied, "I will not rule over you, nor will my son. The Lord will rule over you." (8:22)
Gideon deflected their worship where it belonged - to God. He refused to take the glory that rightfully belonged to the Almighty. He did ask for one thing.
"I do have one request, that each of you give me an earring from your share of the plunder.' (It was the custom of the Ishmaelites to wear gold earrings.) (8:24)
With the more than forty pounds of gold he received in tribute, Gideon set a trap for himself and his nation. Mind you, that is not what he intended to do but that was the result. For whatever reason was in his heart, Gideon took the gold and crafted into an "ephod." This was either a special gold garment similar to what only the priests were to wear as they were the chosen ministers before God; or it was an image of some kind. Irregardless, the real issue is what he and the people did with this object.
"Gideon made the gold into an ephod, which he placed in Ophrah, his
town. All Israel prostituted themselves by worshiping it there, and it
became a snare to Gideon and his family." (8:27) Gideon would not let the people worship him, so they turned their worship to the object Gideon created and set up in his personal town. I imagine that the people made pilgrimages to come and worship it. It probably caused a financial boon in his town. Even though he refused being their ruler, the creator of the ephod was clearly revered - "it became a snare to Gideon and his family."
They were trapped by their own "good deeds." His spiritual offering became a spiritual snare. On the outside everything looked fine; in fact the land enjoyed peace for the next 40 years while Gideon lived, but the trap was set. "As soon as Gideon was dead, the Israelites prostituted themselves worshiping the images of Baal, making Baal-berith their god." (8:33)
Gideon and all those around him made a habit and a practice out of focusing on a spiritual symbol rather than on God. It was natural that they would move next to worshiping other things.
What a wake up call for me! It is very easy to focus on symbols of my love for God - symbols like serving at my church, my actual church, missions trips, blogging through the Bible, going to prayer group, being a Godly mom, giving my finances, teaching the Bible, sharing the gospel ... you get the picture. You probably have your own list of "ephods" set up in your "town" that command your attention more than God. They are those things to which we make pilgrimages to prove our devotion to God. If we don't watch out, like Gideon, they could become a trap - a substitute for worshiping God himself. We could wind up worshiping our acts of worship until God is crowded out completely. We could end up putting ourselves (in the form of our good work) at the center of our worship.
How do I know if I am doing that? I can start by asking myself:
- how much does other people's praise and recognition for what I am doing matter to me?
- do I judge other people's spiritual commitment by whether they focus on what I focus on?
- how much time do I spend doing "Godly stuff" in relation to being with God?
- if all the "symbols" of my religious life went away, would I be satisfied to simply worship God?
The answers to those question might indicate if I have fallen into my own trap. To be honest, I think perhaps in some places I have. Before others get trapped with me, it is time to untangle from the things that have captured my heart, time, attention and worship away from God. If I don't do it now, I will certainly see the consequences later.
Day 110 of 365
Judges 8:18-35
Judges 9:1-21
Luke 23:44-56
Luke 24:1-12
Psalm 99:1-9
Proverbs 14:9-10
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