Inspiration Station: The god You Made

Could the idols in your life be quietly steering you off course? In this thought-provoking episode of Inspiration Station, I invite you to explore the subtle yet profound theme of idolatry, as discussed in biblical teachings like 1 John 3:21 and the story of the Israelites’ golden calf in Exodus 32:1-8. We delve into how impatience and the hunger for immediate satisfaction can lead even the faithful astray, replacing divine truths with man-made distractions. This reflection is more relevant than ever, illuminating how modern society mirrors the ancient struggle for patience and unwavering faith.

Join me, Mista Yu, as we tackle four critical questions designed to uncover the insidious idols that might be holding sway in your life. What commands your focus, what insatiable desires drive you, and which past experiences linger unnecessarily? Through introspection, this episode aims to inspire a deeper understanding of the ‘self-made gods’ we inadvertently worship, urging us to prioritize values that transcend our own creations. Whether your journey is rooted in faith or personal development, this episode offers a mirror for reflection and a path toward rediscovering true worth and purpose.

• Discussion about the idolatry problem within modern faith  
• Biblical context from Exodus regarding the golden calf  
• The consequences of impatience and desire for control  
• The nature and emptiness of human-made idols  
• Reflective questions for personal evaluation on idolatry  
• Call to action for listeners to assess and eliminate idols in their lives

Hope you enjoyed today's episode! You can find and subscribe to our show on our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@Theycallmemistayu

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Chapters

• 0:07 'The Dangers of Idolatry in Life
• 13:20 Evaluating Life's Idols

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:07

Thank you, welcome back to the all-purpose pod for an all-purpose life. Wherever you are and however you're listening today, call me Mr U in the Inspiration Station. Thank you again for making us a part of your week. Thank you for all of the comments and all the love coming our way from the recent episodes that we've been putting out there that you guys have been obviously very excited about. Obviously, they've been impactful. I'm excited. That encourages me, so I'm glad it's ministering to you and it's kind of hitting all the white places I'm excited about. That encourages me, so I'm glad it's ministering to you. It's kind of hitting all the white places. I'm excited about that. Hopefully we'll keep that momentum going.

Speaker 1: 1:10

In regards to today's episode, this is a tough topic because it's one of those kind of topics that people don't really want to talk about For some reason. Those are the ones that I want to talk about, not really sure why that is, but it kind of is what it is. Excuse me, excuse me. I want to talk about. Not really sure why that is, but it kind of is what it is. Excuse me, excuse me. But there is a really bad habit, I guess you could say. I think we have an idolatry problem in our world when it comes to those that are like faith, like myself? Uh, when it comes to those that are of like faith, like myself, these kinds of things shouldn't be as much of a problem, because we kind of know we've seen historical context for why we can have that kind of influence in our life, but apparently it still seems to go on, uh on at epic proportions. It's not a good situation, but I want to get into it a little bit because I believe that no matter where you are in your life, no matter where you are emotionally, spiritually, what have you, you'll find encouragement in this episode today. I know that I have personally. I believe it will be for you too. So put on your listening ears. Hopefully you get something out of the episode for today.

Speaker 1: 2:26

One of the things that we talked about in recent episodes was out of 1 John, 3 and 21. Very, very simple verse Only has six words in it. It says little children, stay away from idols. This is wisdom from somebody who is seasoned in the faith and recognizes the power and the impact that idols can have in your life and what kind of detriment it can be to you if they're left unchecked and not dealt with. We have historical context for what happens when you make idols of things in your life that are just supposed to be resources. It's supposed to be specific benefits perhaps, or maybe they're people that are valuable to you or important to you in your life. They're not supposed to become idols in your life and people may say, all right, that's not happening to me, I'm not doing that. By the end of the episode. I wonder if you feel the same way. Let's test that theory out.

Speaker 1: 3:25

Let's look at Exodus, the 32nd chapter, verse 1 through 8. I'm going to read all of that because I want you to see the context for which someone who is like faith, like myself, has enough context to recognize what idolatry looks like, how utterly ridiculous it really is and how foolish we are to even engage in this behavior. So this is not condemnation. This is a mirror check, if you will, for all of us. I'm going to read this real quick. It's only about eight verses and then we'll move on to the next, but it reads when the people saw that Moses was long and coming down from the mountain, they gathered around Aaron and said come, make us gods who will go before us. As for this fellow Moses who brought us out of Egypt. Check out that line now. As for this fellow Moses who brought us out of Egypt. So they acknowledged that Moses brought them out of Egypt. We don't know what has happened to him. Aaron answered them take off the gold earring that your wives, your sons and your daughters are wearing and bring them to me. So all the people took off all their earrings and brought them to Aaron. He took what they handed him and made it into an idol, cast in the shape of a calf, fashioning it with a tool. Then they said these are your gods, israel, who brought you out of Egypt. I think we'll stop right here, because I want you to understand what's happening.

Speaker 1: 4:38

They got tired of waiting for Moses to get instruction from God. It took 40 days and 40 nights. They grew weary. They had no patience. They grew weary of waiting for him, for his instructions. So, rather than do something like well, I don't know worship, maybe perhaps just rest in him and be patient and wait. They wanted God and they wanted it right now Kind of the mindset of our society these days we want what we want and we want it right now. But verse 1 said as for the fellow Moses who brought us out of Egypt. Again, they acknowledged that he brought them out of Egypt. We don't know what happened to him Then. In verse 4, it says then they all said these are your gods, israel, who brought you up out of Egypt. So they knew that Moses in their mind. They knew that Moses brought them out of Egypt, but they replaced him with something that they made. I hope that, ministers, this might be a little bit deep, but I want you to think about that. They knew the truth, but they replaced it with something that they made. Okay, let's keep moving, excuse me, all right.

Speaker 1: 5:42

So now, what is what's the idol? Why is this something that is just so highly contested, the idea of idols and idolatry. What's the point of this? I'm looking at Psalms 135, 15 to 18. All right, check it out. It says the idols of the nation are silver and gold made by human hands. They have mouths but cannot speak, eyes but cannot see. They have ears but cannot hear, nor is there breath in their mouths. Those who make them will be like them, and so will all who trust in them. That's so good.

Speaker 1: 6:16

I got to read it one more time Psalm 135, verse 15 through 18. The idols of the nations are silver and gold made by human hands. They have mouths but cannot speak, eyes but cannot see. They have ears but cannot hear, nor is there breath in their mouths. Those who make them will be just like them, and so will all who trust in them. That's incredible. What that tells me is that those who engage in idolatry will become what they worship. They'll become where they put their focus.

Speaker 1: 6:49

If you put your focus on something that's unfruitful and unproductive, you will be unfruitful and unproductive. If you put your energies in something that's worthless and of no value, you can render yourself worthless and of no value. Powerful, deep. I want you to hold on to that, because we got one more. Excuse me that. I want you to jump into here with us. I want you some questions first, because I think these are really valuable. I'm going to ask you four questions today. I'm going to leave you with that to ponder as the episode close out. Of course, if you have any kind of questions or anything at the end, you can, of course, I give a still close out question of any kind of questions or anything. At the end, you can, of course, jump in to wherever you see the comments section of this episode Should not to be allowed to answer those in the order they are sent.

Speaker 1: 7:28

But first question what have you built in your life right now that demands most of your focus? What have you built in your life right now that demands most of your focus every day? What do you feed in your life that has a voracious appetite? That means you can feed it all you want, but it never seems to be enough. What do you feed the most that has a voracious appetite that cannot be quenched? What do you feed the most? Third question what have you crafted out of your own hurt that is still presently in your life today, even though the hurt is allegedly gone? What have you built or crafted out of your own hurt from the past that is still present in your life today? And last question what is a constant reminder of your past that should not be? What is a constant reminder of your past that should not be? Grab hold of those four questions. If you didn't catch those, go back and listen to them again. I think they're really, really important to all that we're talking about.

Speaker 1: 8:36

But, of course, even you're going forward if you can receive the wisdom that comes out of this episode to perhaps make some adjustments in your life and address some things that perhaps haven't been addressed up to now. There's an idea that we need to recognize that we're not in control of everything and we can't control every situation. In this case, the children of Israel couldn't control the fact that their leader was communing with God to give them direction for the rest of their travel, for the rest of their journey 40 days and 40 nights it took. It took a long time, I guess in their minds, but they wanted to control the situation and in doing so, they put themselves in a really bad situation where lives were lost and mandates were laid down and people who were in charge were demoted and people that were spearheading some of these movements destroyed their families. This is the kind of thing that can happen when we try to be in control of everything.

Speaker 1: 9:44

Excuse me, I'm going to read this last a little bit longer, this last particular point in scripture, Isaiah 44, 9 through 20. This is a big deal and we're going to close the episode out with this one, because after this not much more I can say. But this is talking about idolatry. I want you to hear the words. I'm going to read them really slow and careful. It's about 11 verses. I'm going to read this to you, really careful, because I want you to understand how God feels about it.

Speaker 1: 10:10

Now, if you look in your life and say, you know what? I don't have any statues in my household, I don't have any trinkets from foreign countries, that's fine, but those are just one kind of idol, like we talked about in the previous episode. It could be your children, it could be your car, it could be your job, it could be your hair and makeup, it could be a particular room in your house. It could be a number of different things. It could be idols in your life. Listen to how it's described and how the Lord feels about these. Listen to those and we'll hold the episode out. Verse 9, isaiah 44,. Verse 9 says all who make idols are nothing and the things they treasure are worthless. Those who would speak up for them are blind. They are ignorant to their own shame. Who shapes a god and casts an idol which can profit nothing? People who do that will be put to shame. Such craftsmen are only human beings. Let them all come together and take their stand. They will be brought down to terror and shame.

Speaker 1: 11:06

The blacksmith takes a tool and works with it in the coals. He shapes an idol with hammers. He forges it with the might of his arm. He gets hungry and loses his strength. He drinks no water and grows faint. The carpenter measures with a line and makes an outline with a marker. He roughs it out with chisels and moss-hibbit compasses. He shapes it in human form, human form in all this glory that it may dwell in a shrine. He cuts down cedars, or perhaps takes a cypress or oak. He let it grow among the trees of the forest or plants of the pine, and the rain made it grow.

Speaker 1: 11:40

It is used as fuel for burning. Some of it he takes and warms himself. He kindles a fire and bakes bread. But he also fashions a god and worships it. He makes an idol and bows down to it and worships it. He makes an idol and bows down to it Half of the wood. He burns in the fire Over it, he prepares his meal, he roasts his meat and eats his fill. He also warms himself and says ah, I am warm. I see the fire. From the rest. He makes a god, his idol. He bows down to it and worships. He prays to it and says save me, you are my God.

Speaker 1: 12:11

They know nothing. They understand nothing. Their eyes are plastered over so they cannot see and their minds closed so they cannot understand. No one stops to think. No one has the knowledge or understanding to say. Half of it I use for fuel. I even bake bread over its coals. I roasted meat and I ate. Should I make a detestable thing from what is left? Shall I bow down to a block of wood? Such a person feeds on ashes. A deluded heart misleads him. He cannot save himself or say is not this the thing in my right hand? A lie. I don't know if that helps you. I really hope it does. But I'm going to give you the passages again that we went through Isaiah 44, 9 through 20. Just again that we went through Isaiah 44, 9 through 20, psalms 135, 15 through 18. I think that's enough. Exodus, chapter 32, verse 1 through 8.

Speaker 1: 13:06

Idolatry is definitely not glamorous, nor is it being upheld by biblical standards. It shouldn't be upheld by your standards either. But I hope this episode is encouraging to you. We have a lot to take care of.

Speaker 1: 13:20

I would recommend again you look at the four questions. The first one what have you built that demands most of your focus Two what do you feed the most that has a voracious appetite that you cannot quench? Three, what have you crafted out of your own hurt that is still present in your life even though the hurt is allegedly gone, and what is a constant reminder of your past that should not be? Answer those questions. Take time to evaluate you and look and make sure you didn't make any gods in your life that need to be rid of, because there's only one, and anything you can make out of your own hands is considered worthless in value in this context. So I hope that makes sense. I'm going to talk about it more deeply. If you'd like to Research those scriptures, let me know what you think, but wherever you are and how you're, listening to the Karma Mystery U and the Inspiration Station. Thank you again for making us a part of your week. Have a wonderful day. Hope this is encouraging. Hope you enjoyed. Talk to you soon.