Second Commandment?

[nataliemurphy1007]

Since the second commandment says that you shouldnt have any idols, does that mean you can't admire like celebrities and singers and how they act? Not neccesarily like obsessing over them, but admiring how they act and they're personality and you want to adapt some of their personality traits.

ex. youre shy and you want to be more outgoing like jennifer lawrence.

 

[Kristen.NewCreation]

This thread has been moved to Christian Advice

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[BFine]

If the person is acting godly that can be admired...but one does
need to be careful in whom they are choosing to imitate.

There is a difference between admiring someone and idolizing...
to idolize is to worship them (this would be wrong) as we are
not to make a "god" of anyone/anything.

Admire is to:
regard with warm approval, to think highly of/esteem.
There's a modest level of approval that is evident in admiring.


There's nothing wrong with being shy, it is only a problem when
it's causing you to isolate yourself.
We all have our own personal traits, I can be shy around people
I don't know or when I'm in unfamiliar surroundings etc.

A certain amount of shyness is OK.
I enjoy people who can be themselves and or are "comfortable in
their own skin" as the saying goes.

Is your shyness causing you to avoid people or isolate yourself?
Are you alone too much?

 

[orangeness365]

I used to think so, but not as much now.

 

[janny108]

everyone's personality is different, so we don't need to try to "be" like anyone else. Everyone makes friends differently. You can admire a celebrity's attributes but it's not right to compare ourselves with them.

 

[Sketcher]

Having a good role model isn't idolatry. Being obsessed with the person would be. God always needs to be #1, and #1 outright.

 

[DiscipleHeLovesToo]

Since the second commandment says that you shouldnt have any idols, does that mean you can't admire like celebrities and singers and how they act? Not neccesarily like obsessing over them, but admiring how they act and they're personality and you want to adapt some of their personality traits.

ex. youre shy and you want to be more outgoing like jennifer lawrence.

an idol is something that you give your time and attention in a meaningful way instead of seeking God. enjoying the performance of a professional entertainer is not necessarily idol worship, unless you adopt the ungodly ways they promote instead of adopting God's ways. Jesus should be our only example, but that doesn't mean that you can't enjoy a performance that's not ungodly. btw - i don't know who jennifer lawrence is, so i'm not implying anything about her

i used to be very shy, but then i learned what shyness really is and this knowledge set me free from shyness. to understand shyness, you must understand pride - pride is like a stick with two ends; on one end is arrogance, on the other is shyness. an arrogant person is someone who sees a gift in themselves that came from God, and takes the credit for it. a shy person is a prideful person who doesn't see that they have anything to be proud of. a humble person is someone who says about themselves what God says about them; for a reborn believer, this would be things like 'i can do all things through Christ', 'i am an overcomer'; 'i am a child of God', etc. - even when it doesn't look that way from the outside

the cure for shyness is the same as the cure for arrogance - shifting focus off of self and onto God. the cure for shyness is not to gain self-esteem by modeling one's self after someone who seems self-confident, but to gain Christ-esteem; to shift focus from what you're not without Christ to what you are with Chrsit - and you'll never be without Him again once you've received His gift of spiritual rebirth.

God made you unique in the eternity of people; you are special to Him, and need only to be yourself in His presence. the more you shift focus off of yourself and onto God (who will focus you on helping others), the less you will 'feel shy'

 

[manitouscott]

I have heard it said that the things that you devote your material goods to are the most likely to become your idols.

I have trouble with tithing, outright, I admit it. Instead if I am spending money on going out to dinner and movies then those things are becoming idols in my life.

Another good measure is this; ask yourself if you admire the person/institution/idea whatever because of the way they bring glory to God. If you don't admire that at all, but admire them for other things, then you need to be careful about the amount of time you devote to them.

 

[asiyreh]

Jesus is a good idol to have. May he forgive me for connecting his name to such a crude term. But you get the point. Get to know him better first of all. Do some good study. Learn to be still and rest with him. Walk in his ways, don't be quick to anger. Forgive others and be still in your soul. God will always set things right, your time is not his.

Once you know the Lord well, these singers and things of the world will loose their sparkle. If you're blessed enough to have children they will show you a glimpse of this new perception.

The things of this world seem sparkly now, and you may go to seek the truth out there. But you will be forever disappointed.

Yes you can have people you look up to in the world. But be careful - all but one have fallen short. I will let you down, the person you most trust in the world will let you down. (I don't mean Jesus)
These idols will let you down.

But look there is one fit to open the scrolls, one that was innocent and fitting and right and proper to sit on the throne of the most high. And when you know him you won't be worried that you could love another. It's like being with that perfect partner. Sure you can go and talk to those other people at the dinner party. None of you gets jealous because they trust the other, they know that they belong each other and everyone else, just seems, well you know what I mean. They're ok, but you'd never be with them because your in Love.

You know what I mean. It's a crude analogy but it's the best way to explain it.

If you feel like that about this pop legend or whatever then ok.

If you're all swonnkyy and can't get enough of this thing. And thinking you might just die if this person doesn't notice you in the crowd, then you need to have a word with yourself and properly set this idol aside until you've calmed yourself.

Be led by the spirit and test it in the Word of God.

 

[parsley]

DiscipleHeLovesToo[/URL]] an idol is something that you give your time and attention in a meaningful way instead of seeking God.

Here's another thought: When a friend is so bossy that they manipulate the people around them, the people are so afraid of displeasing them or making waves, that they will comply to requests. They do not bow down in adoration and appreciation, but they do hand over their decision-making and values.

Or a person works for a company that demands unreasonable overtime on salary, business trips, outside marketing... so much that the worker cannot meet family obligations. Has the person given up, and decided the company has more right to authority in their life, than his/her own values, God, and family? The person leans on a promise of success and is driven to please, no matter what the costs. They sell their soul for a promise of fame and fortune.

(Please keep your jobs -- you need them.)

An idol can be something we adore, or something we give too much authority to. It can be a dream of accomplishing something great, that takes over sensibility.

In the Bible there are statements like [why do you turn to wood and stone for help?]. We turn to things that can't help us, all the time. Most things in life with a promise, also come with a high price. We need to weigh whether that price is unreasonable or worth spending our time and resources on.

 

[thesunisout]

Since the second commandment says that you shouldnt have any idols, does that mean you can't admire like celebrities and singers and how they act? Not neccesarily like obsessing over them, but admiring how they act and they're personality and you want to adapt some of their personality traits.

ex. youre shy and you want to be more outgoing like jennifer lawrence.

Your interest is sounding somewhat unhealthy to me, so I will just say that off the bat. The way the process of sanctification works is that we die to ourselves and our fleshly desires so that the Holy Spirit can conform us into the image of Christ. You really shouldn't desire to emulate other people, you should desire to emulate Jesus. When you're talking about self-improvement, the only real solution is that the Holy Spirit has change you from the inside, and His work is to change you into likeness of Christ. Our hearts need to be changed and simply trying to mimic the personality traits of other people will not change you, and could actually be spiritually toxic. Your focus for who and what you should be should only be rooted in your identity in Christ. God bless.

 

[parsley]

admiring how they act and they're personality and you want to adapt some of their personality traits.

It could be unhealthy, but you could treat it like personal training... modeling behavior.

I can think of a few times when that really helped me. One of the most powerful -- I was watching a Steven Segal movie and noticed that he answered a question with a totally unrelated statement. I had grown up believing I needed to be obedient, answer every question people asked me honestly, and respect the body language of a conversation.

When I saw him take charge of the subject matter, I had an [bless and do not curse][bless and do not curse][bless and do not curse] eureka moment, that stuck with me for years. It was the script writer of course, and the Holy Spirit that did the teaching.

Another example -- when I saw Tomb Raider, I thought [bless and do not curse][bless and do not curse][bless and do not curse] look at her posture! Jolie had built up a lot of muscle for the part, but also kept her shoulders down and head up. So when I feel like I'm slumping, I use that stance to pull myself back into alignment.

There are other examples too... but it is not really the actor I am thinking about. It is seeing how their characters accomplished something I wanted to accomplish, and having a visual model to base my goals on.

Look at how the Bible serves that way in telling the stories of forefathers and apostles.

 

[Emmy]

Dear nataliemurphy1007. In Matthew 22: 35-40: Jesus tells a Lawyer: " The first and great Commandment is: Love God with all thy heart, with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. The second is: Love thy neighbour as thyself."
Then Jesus points out: " On these two Commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets." God wants our love, freely given and No conditions made.
These two Commandments tell us all what the Ten Commandments before, told us, and they are easy to understand and to follow. Jesus will give us His Love and Joy, and the Holy Spirit will empower us with His Love, also.
Matthew 7: 7-8: tells us what God wants from us: Love God above all, and love our neighbour as we love ourselves: neighbour being: all we know and all we meet, friends and no-friends.
How can we show God that we want to do, as Jesus told us? We start by treating all we know and all we meet the same as we would love to be treated, with kindness and always friendly words. God sees our sincere efforts, and God will approve and bless us. We keep asking God for Love and Joy, thanking God, and sharing all Love and Joy with our neighbour. We might stumble or forget, but then we ask God to forgive us, thank God, and carry on loving and caring. God is Love, and God wants loving children/sons and daughters. Jesus our Saviour will help and guide us: JESUS IS THE WAY.
The answer to your question, nataliemurphy? Is your pride loving or selfish?
I say this with love. Greetings from Emmy, your sister in Christ.