Letting Go of Idols

One of my favorite things to do as a child was to play mom with my dolls. I would dress them, feed them, comb their hair and put them to sleep: my little dream family. When I got married, that dream family was in the back of my mind. But, dreams don't always come true, or if they do, the road to fulfillment is not easy. A diagnosis of endometriosis brought me face-to-face with infertility and a long and arduous road to creating that family.  

I started down the path of infertility treatments: the medical work-ups, the low-tech stuff, the high-tech stuff, hormone shots, egg retrieval, transfer of embryos, the waiting, waiting, waiting, and the let down when implantation failed. Two successful implantations led to miscarriages. I was devastated at the loss of those little ones whose precious faces I would never see. I was determined to be one of the success stories, with my trophy (baby’s picture) on the wall of the clinic. I had “natural” cycles and “frozen”cycles. I even considered surrogacy. I was so focused on achieving this goal, I lost sight of God and His will for me (and my husband) in this journey to parenthood.

Without realizing it, I had become an idol worshiper. The fertility specialists, the fertility treatments, the image of that child I so wanted to conceive had all become my idols.​

​In Exodus Chapters 6 through 15, we read the story of God sending Moses to extricate His children from bondage in Egypt, the plagues God sent on the land, the Israelites’ deliverance and  their miraculous crossing of the Red Sea. In Exodus 8:1, God again gives Moses this message for Pharaoh, “...Let my people go, so that they may worship me.”  Even after seeing Aaron’s rod changed into a serpent that consumed the rods of his magicians, and the waters of Egypt turning into blood, Pharoah stubbornly resisted God’s command. Pharaoh did not know the one true God. He had many gods, many idols. Every plague that God sent on Egypt was in direct response to one of Pharaoh’s gods. Yet, his heart was continuously hard towards God’s people. The plague of the death of every firstborn in Egypt who was not under the ‘blood  of the Passover Lamb’,  finally led Pharoah to say, “‘Up! Leave my people, you and the Israelites! Go, worship the Lord as you have requested’” (Exod. 12:31).

God gave me many opportunities to tear down my idols, but like Pharoah, I held on to them, refusing to let them go. My pride got in the way of His grace and I failed to see Him as God Almighty. Seven years of chasing the technology left me with empty arms, and finally, heartbroken and weary, I surrendered my idols to God. Months later, God blessed us with a son through the miracle of adoption. A daughter joined our family three years later, again through adoption.  Our family was complete.  God had blessed us beyond our wildest dreams.

1 John 5:21 warns, “Dear children, keep yourselves from idols.” All created things become idols when we put our trust in them, rather than in God. I was so focused on the specialists and the technology, that I lost sight of the God who created the technology, who created me and who creates life. Worship the Creator rather than the created.  The blood of Jesus, the  Passover Lamb, frees us from every sin, including the sin of idolatry. I accepted His free gift.  Are you struggling with idols in your life?  Jesus can set you free.  You only have to ask.

“‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.’” Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV)

About the Author

Hi, I am Joan Lavori.  I have been married to my husband Joe for 33 years.  We have two young adult children and we live in NW Atlanta. I homeschooled my children through high school and currently teach in a hybrid homeschool program.  I love to write, read, sing and take long walks on the beach, listening to God's Word and soaking up His marvelous creation.  ​​