Dealing with idolatry

From the very beginning in the introduction, Kyle Idleman has you hooked in his most recent book gods At War.  Whether you struggle with spending too much, greed, working too much, worrying, .....there is a false god inside each of us that is at the root of all of them in the form of idolatry.  Idleman is so bold as to say that idolatry isn't just one of many sins, it is the one great sin that all others come from.  The other struggles are just the mask for idolatry.  Idolatry is always the real issue. It's the "trunk of the tree" , and all other problems are just branches.

Proverbs 4:23 tells us "Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it." Your heart determines it all--what you do, say, and think.  Because of that, your heart is the front line for gods at war.  In order to deal with our idol issues, we first must deal with the heart since that is the root of all our thoughts emotions, and actions.  What good would it do to simply deal with the "mask" of the idol (greed, for example) if we never deal with the source  of the problem?

It is hard to see ourselves as idol worshipers but Idleman has some keys questions that may bring out the truth:
      - What disappoints you? When you feel overwhelmed by disappointment, it is a good sign that something has become way too important to you and you have placed your hope in something other than God.
      -What do you complain about the most?  What we complain about reveals what really matters to us.
      - Where do you make financial sacrifices? Where your money goes shows what is winning your heart.
      - What worries you? Whatever keeps you awake at night has potential of becoming an idol.
      -Where is your sanctuary? A friend? Food? God is our help in time of need.  Does your life reflect that?
     - What infuriates you? Maybe your temper reveals your true idol. Yourself.
     - What are your dreams? What is your motivation for those dreams? Your glory or God's?

But God is a jealous god. There is room for only one in our lives. So what do we do about all the  idols in our lives?  We are made to worship.  It is in our make-up.  Will you worship the idols in your life or the one true God?

In gods at War, Idleman addresses many of the things that tend to become idols on our lives and helps the reader deal with the root of the issue.  I can't say enough about the book as it will be one I read a number of time rather than passing it on or gathering dust on a shelf.  It helped open my eyes to my own idols, even ones I didn't know existed or could be idols.  A must read for every Christian.

I did receive this book free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review and was in no way obligated to leave a positive review.