Grief and Idols

I appreciate my friend Rick Ross so much.  One of the things I appreciate is his sharing of what he has learned through a extremely painful event in his life.  He's been speaking in class about some of the things he learned and he made a comment yesterday that has stuck with me.  I wish I could remember it exactly but I will give my rendition.  We must be careful we don't let what we grieve become an idol in our life.

I'd never thought about something I lose becoming an idol but it's true.  I have likely come close at times to letting something I grieve become an idol, become something that I hold more dear than anything else, something I could almost worship by giving more attention and focus to what I lost than what God wants to give me.  

What if you lost all your money?  

What if you lost your health?

What if you lost your spouse?

What if you lost your child?

Would the loss of any of those things consume you?  For some people a loss can do just that - consume them.  What a dangerous situation that can sneak up on me if I'm not aware, not prepared for how a loss can transform my life.  

I appreciated the reminder of how to keep life in perspective and keep God in focus for my life.  

Grace and peace to you.