5. What has made you the most bitter in life?
What got taken away from you that you can’t get over? Maybe you got passed over for a promotion or your ex-spouse kept you from the family you deserved. You’ve never been recognized for the awesome person you are. Your husband doesn’t see it; your kids don’t appreciate it.
Bitterness almost always points to something that has great weight in our lives that we’ve missed out on.
6. What can’t you forgive?
The Christian counselor David Powlison says the inability to forgive is almost always connected to an idol you think someone robbed you of.
7. What are you willing to lie for?
Very few of us lie for kicks. Usually, when you lie, it’s because you are protecting idolatry, like your reputation, prosperity, or comfort.
I’ve figured out over the years that even my propensity to bend the truth was connected to my need to succeed. I’m tempted to lie sometimes because I want you to think that I’m more successful than I actually am. I want to cover up my shortcomings and exaggerate my accomplishments because your opinion of me makes me feel significant.
What makes you want to bend the truth?
8. Where do you turn for comfort?
When things go wrong, where do you turn to tell yourself you’re okay? For me, probably unsurprisingly, it’s in my successes. I say to myself, “Well, I’ve built a great church, so I’m OK.” (By the way, you may think I’ve revealed too much. But I want to show you that it’s important to be candid about this if you want to grow.)
Your answer may be your family or your own talents. Or you may think that if you have a lot of money in the bank, everything’s going to be OK. For others, you turn to the comfort of food or drink or pornography or shopping. You think, “As long as my body feels good, I can be happy.”
9. Whose approval do you seek?
There is someone or some group you want to hear say, “Well done.” Is it your friends? Your husband or wife? Your dad? Your team?
Add ‘Em Up
As you look over your answers to this test, notice if you wrote down the same answer three or more times. If you did, then that thing is probably idolatry for you.
There’s likely nothing wrong with any of the things you wrote down. But when those things have ultimate worth and weight in your life—in other words, when they displace God—they lead to misery.
The gospel should show you that the only One you can lean your soul on and find satisfaction in is God.
As Creator, he could just demand your worship; but he became your Redeemer to show you he deserved it, to show you that nothing is worthy of your worship except him.
This article originally appeared here.
