A new temptation often arises in the subtle shift from learner to teacher, one we often don't foresee. It creeps in as we begin to delight in our own expertise about God, rather than God Himself.
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While we may be aware of our tendency to look to spouses, children, money, food, careers, and houses to find fulfillment, many of us have assumed friendship is immune to the same kind of temptation. But idolatry is always dangerous to our souls, no matter how harmless the idol may seem at first glance.
Read More![[Friendship Gone Wrong] Unseen Neediness](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/51fbf1e5e4b0a9dce7926cdb/1483643951420-S23VB3ZFW21YAB4OSYD4/UNSEEN+NEEDINESS.png)
Though I never had an outwardly needy friendship, the weeds of codependency were still popping up in my life, just in a different form. I needed her to be ok with me. I needed her approval and her acceptance. I needed her more than I loved her. This is the essence of codependency: driven by our own needs we become unable to truly love other people. My neediness was near impossible to see because it manifested by keeping her at arms-length. I perceived myself not to be needy, but to be perfectly content without her in my life.
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How can you know if you are using the Bible to avoid Jesus? When it becomes a self-help manual instead of a platform to showcase your Redeemer. When the Bible produces to-do lists and not worship. When your Bible reading is devoid of prayer. Proper Bible reading first exposes sin, then offers a Savior. The Bible is a witness to the need for a Savior and the presentation of Jesus as that Savior.
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Growing up as a church kid, repentance wasn't a good thing. It was like flu medication. If you got the flu, of course, it was commendable to take the medication. But even better than that was not getting sick. Avoiding sin was better than needing to repent. Goody-two-shoes that I was, this was great news. I was pretty good at obedience, at following the rule book. But sometime during those church-going years, I got a glimpse of God in His Word: His character, His beauty, His holiness. Rule-following was no longer appealing. Knowing Him was.
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Repentance is the act of agreeing with God about our sin, turning from it and rejoicing in what God has done for us in Jesus. Most of our repentance is reactive. We repent primarily for the sins that are staring us in the face or the ones that others point out. And honestly, even then, sometimes we delay dealing with our sin. But what if we weren’t just reactive in dealing with our sin, but proactive? This is a trait we see in many of the godly men and women of the Bible: Josiah (2 Chron. 34), Daniel (Dan 9), and David (Psalm 139:23-24) to name a few.
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What would Jesus have to say to moms? Being a mother entails a whole other level of interaction with children. What can we learn from Jesus to apply to the day-in-day-out routine of motherhood?
Read More![[Friendship Gone Wrong] The Journey to Freedom](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/51fbf1e5e4b0a9dce7926cdb/1483646905349-WCYP23OHP0HELV21TFVN/FREEDOM.png)
If it is evident that you have been idolizing a friend in your life and have become emotionally dependent on them, here are some basic steps you can take to move toward freedom: Be Honest, Create Space, Prepare for Grief, Cultivate Other Friendships, See a Biblical Counselor, and Get to Know God.
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What inner circle do you want to be in? Who are those "important people" in your life? These are the people who you keep your eye out for. Those you search for reasons to strike up a conversation with. The ones you don't want to miss when you walk through the halls or the lobby after church.
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