For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh; for the willing is present in me, but the doing of the good is not. For the good that I want, I do not do, but I practice the very evil that I do not want. — Romans 7:18-9, NASB
Idols have a nasty habit of resurrecting themselves. They’re kind of like those “bop ‘em” inflatable targets. I knock them down; they bounce right back up and wallop me in the face. Stars and bright lights, ragged breath.
At times like these, I understand why God told the people of Israel to raze the heights and cut down the Asherah poles. They needed to make a clean break of it. Idols have to be more than knocked down or covered up. They have to be taken out and taken out for good. If they aren’t, they bounce back or clothe themselves in new, cleverer forms.
Unfortunately, the external act doesn’t always quite do the job. A problem with idols points to something below the surface, something deep inside myself. To take them out requires an internal knock-down, drag-out fight. I have to sacrifice my desires, confront my fears. The real idols are not out there in some vague space; they are here, now, in my heart and head. It’s no wonder their calls allure. I am my own Siren.
It’s a terrible, terrible fight, and it’s not one that ends in this lifetime. I know the facts. Holiness and godly character do not simply evolve. There is no “big bang” that propels them into being. No, the two are found only in dedicated pursuit. I find this story in every person I admire, from my friends to my family and from the Hall of Faith in Hebrews to people like Dorothy Day and Augustine.
Their lives were filled with constant struggle. The irony? They found more happiness in waging war than in being complacent. They had discovered that real life wasn’t found in satisfying their desires but in living for Another. Every day they chose the way of the cross. They lived in this world but were not of it.
I choose to follow their example. I know what the choice means: a lifelong battle with myself and my idols. I won’t quit, though. I know what I’m fighting for. The fight is always, always worth it, so I discipline my heart, mind, and body and set about knocking down idols, no matter how many times they bounce back.
Image: Scott.Symonds (Creative Commons)