Hope Mangiafico (00:00)
What if idolatry isn't just about golden calves or carved statues? What if it's hiding in our schedules, our phones, our achievements, our relationships, even the good things that God has given us? That's me. In this episode, we're unpacking what everyday idolatry really looks like and why it's so easy to miss. We'll explore how anything that takes God's rightful place in our hearts can quietly become an idol.
And how Jesus lovingly calls us back to true freedom. If you've ever wondered why your heart feels restless, anxious, or constantly chasing just one more thing, this conversation is for you. Stay with us, you might be surprised by what God reveals. Hi, I'm Hope.
Nikki Humphrey (00:46)
Hi, I'm Nikki. Welcome to Equipped Fellowship, where friends become family through Christ. We're two Jesus Loving Friends on a mission to share personal stories, resources, and real talks about our triumphs, breakthroughs, struggles, idols, and setbacks. Why? Because we believe you are called to live victoriously, and we're here to equip you with Holy Spirit-led tools and strategies to strengthen your faith, transform your mindset, and walk
boldly in God's promises. Because here's the truth, you have been given great and precious promises by God. So grab your coffee, lean in, and let's grow together. It's time to step into everything God has for you.
Hope Mangiafico (01:30)
Step in and dive in. Today we are diving into a topic that can feel a little uncomfortable, but it is one every single one of us needs to wrestle with and come face to face with if we're honest. When we hear the word idolatry, most of us picture people bowing down to statues in the Old Testament, or maybe you don't really picture that anymore. Overall, I feel like maybe the body of Christ is shifting out of that mindset. However, we still don't see.
The true reality of how sneaky they are. So you might still be like, that's not me. I don't have that issue. But scripture paints a much bigger picture. An idol is anything that takes a place that belongs to God only, to him alone. It isn't always something bad, which is a big one I'm excited to dive into today. In fact, some of the greatest idols are actually good gifts that slowly become ultimate things. Whew.
Our families, our careers, sports, success, money, comfort, control, approval, our image, our health, even ministry, anything we look to for our identity, security, peace, worth, or hope more than God can quietly become an idol. I made it kind of fun.
Because you got to when you talk about this kind of stuff and we're excited to handle it kind of lightheartedly but seriously at the same time. And it's gonna be a great experience and and it's gonna be great because the amazing news is that God doesn't reveal our idols to shame us. So we can have a little fun, a little joy with it, right? He reveals them because he loves us too much to let us settle for something that can never truly satisfy us. So today, let's invite the Holy Spirit to gently search our hearts together.
Nikki Humphrey (03:24)
Yes. And when this came on me, and then I texted Hope because I was like, ooh, this is gonna be, she's like, ooh, it seems heavy, but good. And I was like thinking thinking of it not as heavy, but it's just bringing an awareness because Exodus 20 verse three says, You shall have no other gods before me.
Talk about this is the very first commandment.
Hope Mangiafico (03:54)
Yeah, yes. So
Nikki Humphrey (03:55)
The
very first commandment. And I was thinking about how just unknowingly I put these things, these issues, these priorities in front of God every day. And I don't even realize it. So if we can bring more awareness to these things in our lives, it naturally brings us closer to God.
Hope Mangiafico (04:03)
Yeah. Yeah. Yes.
Nikki Humphrey (04:23)
It builds our connection. It gives us freedom. And it just
Hope Mangiafico (04:25)
Yes. Yeah.
Nikki Humphrey (04:31)
allows us to, you know, these are great gifts, like you said, Hope. They are good gifts, but to steward them well.
Because like you said, an idol isn't just something we love. It's something we love more than God.
It's in what we trust, it's in what we run to, it's what we fear of losing. That's a big one for me. And what we believe we can't live without.
Hope Mangiafico (04:55)
So here is a unplanned segue. that's
Nikki Humphrey (04:59)
Mm-hmm.
Hope Mangiafico (04:59)
pretty wild. Today I was listening to I think I shared this on the last episode, the summer update, the Shane and Shane worship thing, right? Yeah, yeah. So I was listening to this
Nikki Humphrey (05:10)
Yes. This is so close.
Hope Mangiafico (05:12)
Yeah. So I literally started my morning asking the Lord about something that was bothering me about myself, right? Like, Lord, why am I doing this? And I'm saying this because he
showed this to me through this Shane and Shane worship thing, which plays so well into this for me, and I think it was described so well. I'm gonna miss the mark a little bit. But the guy said that the beauty of having Jesus is if we allow it, we no longer have to squeeze all the juice out of life. And I know that's a really strange statement. But as soon as I heard that, it's like I didn't hear anything else because I was like, that's my problem.
Is it's like you said, afraid of losing things. It's like, hold on, death grip on all the things, keep going, persevering, hold on to the blessings, chase the blessings, because I need to squeeze everything out of life. That's that control in the entry that was talked about. It just like all of a sudden I saw like, yeah, a lime, right? Or a lemon just being squeezed and it's it's dry, but you're like, I'm gonna get a little bit more and a little bit more.
It's empty. But I'm so focused on getting the last blessing, the last promotion, the last ever I mean, I don't know. It just like boom and that visual transformed my day today.
Nikki Humphrey (06:33)
I have such a good visual hope because you take a lime or an orange or whatever and you're squeezing the good juice out. But if you over-squeeze it, the bitterness of
Hope Mangiafico (06:46)
man.
Nikki Humphrey (06:47)
the rind comes out.
Hope Mangiafico (06:48)
Good, good job. That was not talked about on the devo. my gosh, that's such a good point. And then and then you squeeze so much, and then you get all the seeds, and like you here's another thing, right? You can get a cool device to help you, but if you're in a hurry, you're just squeeze, squeeze, squeeze, and you have nothing filtering out the seeds, and you gotta go fishing out the mess you made. Like this could preach. And and it just translated to me.
And ha without me even really thinking about this episode, what is it that makes me do that? Because that's a lack of trust, which means a lack of love for the Father and his reigning and lordship in my life.
Nikki Humphrey (07:32)
It's so crazy. I wrote this down that a good thing becomes a a god thing when we depend on it more than we depend on God.
Hope Mangiafico (07:39)
Yeah.
Nikki Humphrey (07:40)
And it's so many things. But if we think about everyday idolatry, the big one that came up that I try try to squeeze everything out of and just really get in there is my health.
Hope Mangiafico (07:54)
Mm, yeah.
Nikki Humphrey (07:55)
I need to do all the things every day to live optimally, to get my body in a good state, to feel better, to do better, to lock it this to heal myself, to do
Hope Mangiafico (08:05)
You are not alone on that one. Yeah.
Nikki Humphrey (08:10)
It's such a big idol in my life.
Hope Mangiafico (08:14)
You are not alone in that.
Yeah, you're not alone.
trying to think of I have one, but I I want to say it correctly.
And I mean, if we even, before I share anything, talk about health and idolatry, are you able to speak on your personal journey of like currently what you're doing to be mindful of that? Or like is the Lord convicting you and you're growing in that? Do you know what I mean? Like, are you able to elaborate any more of that journey?
Nikki Humphrey (08:45)
Yeah,
so where I am on the idolatry scale of health.
Hope Mangiafico (08:48)
Yeah,
yeah, perfect.
Nikki Humphrey (08:51)
So I'm getting a lot better. Like I said, through January to now, totally different person. January, I'm digging, digging, digging, trying to find
Hope Mangiafico (09:01)
No.
Nikki Humphrey (09:01)
all the information, going to
Hope Mangiafico (09:03)
Yeah.
Nikki Humphrey (09:04)
all the experts, writing down lists, like this was a good point. Save this video, go back to it, reference it, try the thing, do this, do it.
And it was making me crazy because I'm made that a God. I made that my top priority. Getting healthy in January. Feeling better. Optimal state, like I said before. And you know, when we do that, sometimes we talk about the pendulum. Like God has like swung it way in the other way. And I got worse. Like everything, my health just tanked.
And I was feeling a little bit like Job in that moment, but then I reached out to God. I'm just like, okay, I'm doing my priorities are wrong. I need to sit with the father and like figure some things out. And so now where I'm at, I'm curious, but I only dig or research or follow up on something.
If I feel like that's the night next right step God need to do. Am I perfect at that? No. But will I scroll through the videos like something like, have you do you have XYZ? And I'm like, Yeah, have you tried to? And I'm just like, nope. Where before I'd watch the video and then research what they said on the video and
Hope Mangiafico (10:08)
Yes, yes, yes. Yes.
Nikki Humphrey (10:29)
So I I'm becoming better. But I put that on my first everyday idol because I need to be aware of that one. My health becoming an idol, 'cause it can so quickly.
Hope Mangiafico (10:44)
Well, you know, you so you you just mentioned becoming aware of it, and then you mentioned awareness earlier. And when you spoke about awareness, the first thing that came to my mind is God is light, so we're light, so we need to, and you talk about light all the time, we need to.
allow light to shine on these things so we can actually fully be the light that we were called to be. and that the the image he originally designed us in is what exudes instead of the pains or the ide most idolatry comes from some kind of distorted thinking, we'll call it stinkin' thinking, right? And so instead of exuding the stinkin' thinking, you're exuding the light
Within and that awareness. And Nikki has talked about so many times on episodes, especially in the beginning of our journey of this podcast, but like the pinprick of light. And I think by letting him in to sh reveal that awareness, you've got that light showing, and then that's how you can then pour out to others. You know? I just I don't know. I just kept seeing light is light, like light becomes light, and light.
needs to reside with light and it's like that's why it's so important.
Nikki Humphrey (12:02)
Yes, 'cause you want the enlightenment from the father.
Hope Mangiafico (12:05)
Yes, there it is.
Nikki Humphrey (12:07)
You don't want to be
Blocking the light, his light.
Hope Mangiafico (12:11)
Yeah, exactly. And you made such a good point about it being the first commandment. You know, in today's day and age, it is a weird one to think about because as the intro stated, I know for a long time most of us at least start thinking, it's just the golden calf, right? And the Bible and stuff like that. But as we grow in the wall we Exactly.
Nikki Humphrey (12:32)
Yeah. Old Testament stuff. Like
Hope Mangiafico (12:35)
But then you start growing and you're like, I I I'm
seeing some things and then you really start to understand that the the what's the word system's not the right word the order of the commandments are intentional like this is your biggest light hindrance is having idols before God and
Nikki Humphrey (12:55)
Yes. Yes. Right.
Hope Mangiafico (13:00)
or you sorry were you about say something okay
Nikki Humphrey (13:02)
No. We just said right. Yeah.
Hope Mangiafico (13:05)
okay
As you were speaking, I finally found my verbiage for what I was thinking of. I've shared so many times on the podcast some of the things the Lord was doing in my life, be it day trading, growing fiddly fit. I fill in the blank. And it's like he created all of those things. And I could feel that he put those in me. I could feel the alignment. And then honestly, I'm so grateful I have a I got a new job
Because I was doing all these entrepreneurial things, creation things, I was so hyper-fixated on perfecting them. And it went from daughter, it's like you were saying, Nikki, I gave you this good thing, this blessing, to now I'm like, I need a steward. And I took stewardship into hyperfixation and obsession. And because I had the time in the space of my home.
I would get angry if they weren't doing great because I have all this time at home. I should be able to watch these fiddles, make them grow perfectly, do all these things. And I swear.
I k I should say I kid you not. I had a mark at the end of April. Everything was great. Like everything sold out. It was wonderful. And right after that market, you know I'm on I'm riding a high. I'm like, yeah, won't he do it? Giving him all the glory. But deep down, I come home. Giving him glory's gone. Because now I gotta produce. I sold out. These are plants, you can't rush But Tim Ways to Sunday did I try.
And I had more more problems than I've ever had. Now it's a layered concept, but I say all that because when I finally like was like, okay, Lord, I hear you. I gotta I gotta work this out. It's like all of a sudden I could feel that I was starting to make room for him again. Because we'll use your example too, Nikki. He wants us well. He's the great physician, but we have to make room for him.
If we're busy watching the videos, like you said, or if I'm busy looking up all the hacks on how to grow faster, help the roots, make the leaves more green, you know. I'm gonna kill it because I'm changing too many things at once, just like you were talking about. You consume too many things at once. And so I made these incredible gifts that literally people are like, You have Holy Spirit led plants and you've got this, and woo, and I'm like, I'm glad you see it. Yes, I'm obedient, and then bam, slap in the face.
It wasn't God, it was me.
And I don't know if I ever would have called it an idol.
Until I made space for him. Because it's so easy, like you said, with your health. because of the information age we're in, it's easier than ever to control your life. I just got that. That makes a lot of sense,
Nikki Humphrey (15:54)
I was
Hope Mangiafico (15:54)
guys.
Nikki Humphrey (15:54)
just gonna say that. The bottom line is control. That's idol
Hope Mangiafico (15:56)
That's what it is. Holy canoe. Yeah.
Nikki Humphrey (16:01)
And we're just trying to like I'm trying to steer into good health and you're trying to steer into getting these plants to grow up you know exponentially and we're not in control.
Hope Mangiafico (16:15)
But you know, it's you're right. so here's the thing. Idolatry is so interesting because you can easily not label it as control, whether it's because you're trying to rationalize it. it's so interesting. Yeah, I would say rationalize or s or have it under the label of good stewardship.
That's the tricky one if we want to talk about that. It's coming to me now. Defining what goods how to know the difference between good stewardship and trying to be in control. That's a tough one as a follower of Christ. I just like that's a that's a really good question, Lord. Hmm.
Nikki Humphrey (16:57)
Well, if you go back to your plants, Hope, you were a good st steward.
Hope Mangiafico (17:03)
Mm.
Nikki Humphrey (17:04)
There was no rush, there was no expectation, there was just anticipation about
Hope Mangiafico (17:10)
Mm.
Nikki Humphrey (17:11)
where these fiddles were going and whose home were they gonna be into and and naming and and doing all the things for them to like nourish them and pray for them and all the beautiful steward of fiddles.
And then you sold out and then the panic set in and you're like, We are no longer good stewards, we are fiddle producing machines.
Hope Mangiafico (17:39)
Change the title.
Nikki Humphrey (17:40)
We're
gonna just blast out these fiddles. They're gonna be the greenest, the best, the strongest rooted, that and it's gonna happen like that. And it's taking over God's natural process and trying to implement our own plan. Overriding his. Cause like a plant is like a baby. Like we can't rush the process.
Hope Mangiafico (17:54)
Hm. Yeah. Yeah. a thousand a thousand percent, I know.
Nikki Humphrey (18:10)
Ha ha.
Hope Mangiafico (18:12)
I know. No, you're you're right. Yeah, it's just it's so wild.
And it g honestly, Nikki, it goes back to because we talked about the label of a good steward. And then all of a sudden, when you were talking, I was like, and then I became like CEO, let's run this business. And it's like, we need to throw out all titles and just become children, as we've talked about so many times, and we have so many episodes on that. Like, children, if we would embrace that, we would stop.
seeing our results and our outcomes with a certain lens, we would just be happy with an outcome. We would just be happy to get some new knowledge, right? Woohoo, I learned about my pancreas today or I learned about my health or I learned a new thing about fiddles. That's so great. And you're on with your day.
But because we don't have we're still growing in that mentality of a child, we're like split and divided between these hats of a label and who we really are.
And I it's fascinating as I'm saying that because I've been on this kick lately for I don't know, a month or so, of really disliking titles. And as we're speaking about this, it's like I want all of us, including myself, to just hold the title of child of God. Because using your example, if you're a child of God, the greatest physician is your father.
And scripture, that's one of my favorite scriptures because it's like we as humans really don't know how to handle the scripture that says he's the great physician. I mean, you sit on that.
It's life changing.
Your dad is a great physician.
My dad created the plants.
Why is that so hard? Like I d I you said control.
And the that is c that's the correct answer.
But then that opens the door to, okay, if most of our desires that cause us to fall into idolatry is related to control, what do we do every day? Because this episode's about everyday idolatry, what do we do every day to say no?
I surrender.
have an episode on that.
Nikki Humphrey (20:31)
It's the control you know, it's taking that control and surrendering it to the Father.
And be patiently obedient for the next step.
Hope Mangiafico (20:41)
That's a good word. Patiently okay.
Nikki Humphrey (20:44)
Because Hope and I being entrepreneurs, we just want to achieve. We just want some kind of validation that what we did was the right thing. Worldly validation. We either want somebody to purchase or to give us kudos or something.
Hope Mangiafico (20:56)
Yeah.
Nikki Humphrey (21:05)
And it's like we can get that from our Father God if we are just patient enough.
Hope Mangiafico (21:14)
What'd you say patiently obedient?
Nikki Humphrey (21:16)
Mm.
Hope Mangiafico (21:17)
Yeah, that's a really good word.
Nikki Humphrey (21:19)
It popped in.
Hope Mangiafico (21:21)
It almost sounds like an oxymoron, I guess is the right term. Because yeah, 'cause when you think obedience you think of go, go, go, I gotta obey right now.
So those are conflicting words in the natural
Nikki Humphrey (21:37)
They are. But if I was more patiently obedient with my health in January, maybe I wouldn't have went on my health wouldn't have tanked.
Hope Mangiafico (21:46)
Yeah, I you never know.
Nikki Humphrey (21:48)
Cause I was doing all the things to get my health better. Hope was doing the same things to the fiddly figs. Giving
Hope Mangiafico (21:55)
Yeah.
Nikki Humphrey (21:56)
it all the stuff. And like she said earlier, wasn't waiting to see if one was working or not. If one was good, two is better.
Hope Mangiafico (22:02)
Mm-hmm. Right.
Nikki Humphrey (22:07)
If two is better, then four is awesome. Like look out, world. And I took the same approach to my health. Well, if this supplement is good, then pairing it with this one's gonna be a booster and it's gonna make it better. Then if I change
Hope Mangiafico (22:15)
Yeah. gosh, you
Nikki Humphrey (22:23)
this part of my eating and then move my body this way, then that's gonna be the secret sauce. And it wasn't. It's not patiently obedient.
Hope Mangiafico (22:34)
Yeah.
Nikki Humphrey (22:34)
Like you said, it's onion, it's a layered approach. Do one thing. And then wait. Check in. How's it going?
Hope Mangiafico (22:43)
Yeah. You know, speaking of
idolatry and again your journey with health and boy do I know that. It's like, how does the mitochondria actually get this? it's through that nutrient. Cool. So I gotta eat more black beans to get this. It's like this zigzag. Anyways, I will say one thing that has been an open door for me to start releasing that control and being an aide and I reducing my
idols in my life, I guess you could say, is if we go back to the control and having being in the information age, is I utilize spirit control to not grab my phone so frequently to research.
we really have put ourselves in a danger spot with our phones in our back pocket all the time. And that has been majorly impactful in my life, especially in health realms. Or I mean plants too. I mean, who am I kidding? because you get stuff in what, less than ten seconds?
And we were n never meant to process things that fast. And so that's why we get so overwhelmed and overstimulated and completely misaligned.
Nikki Humphrey (24:03)
It's so true. And I've been trying to make a conscious effort of like not referring to my phone. I actually went to a library last week with Joseph.
Hope Mangiafico (24:13)
Two weeks ago.
Nikki Humphrey (24:16)
I'm
just like I love a book. I mean I have the hoopla app on my phone and I I get books on there, but it is something about going to the library, walking through the stacks, looking at the different categories, seeing what sticks out, opening the books, seeing what you know, patiently choosing a book rather than on like hoopla. I'm just like, Whoo. A gazillion books
Hope Mangiafico (24:41)
my gosh, yes, such a company.
Nikki Humphrey (24:43)
in three minutes. Like
A lot.
Hope Mangiafico (24:45)
Dude, Niggie, all of a sudden as we're discussing, I'm just thinking we have all made information our idol. Consumption. Maybe it's consumption, actually.
Nikki Humphrey (24:59)
Concept Yes.
Hope Mangiafico (25:00)
Because you can't consume all of those books at once, but you can scroll really fast, hit it, read a summary, or listen to it on two X speed at
Gobble it up.
Get fat on information.
Nikki Humphrey (25:12)
That's totally me. Like, how many podcasts can I listen to during this rent? Well, if I really increase the speed, but am I even absorbing it at that point? Our brains
Hope Mangiafico (25:24)
Right.
Nikki Humphrey (25:26)
weren't created to process that fast. Not to say that they can't. They can. But it's like, what are we missing? We're missing the this word just popped in. The minutiae. The fine.
Hope Mangiafico (25:40)
Mm.
Nikki Humphrey (25:42)
Connecting points. The nitty gritty.
Hope Mangiafico (25:44)
Which is where the spirit lives.
Nikki Humphrey (25:46)
Yes.
Hope Mangiafico (25:47)
Preach, that is good. Well, and it's like, you know what it makes me think of? I hope this makes sense. I feel like I'm not making any sense on this episode because I'm just getting these random thoughts, but in my brain, I'm like, I see it, Lori. This makes sense. It makes me think this is so weird.
Consuming at rapid speeds is dishonoring how God made our bodies and the brain and all of that. And it's like we're trying to do a form of biohacking through all of our consumption. But it's not gonna work.
Because it's not part of the original design. Just like a lot of the biohacks, there's science behind it, but at the end of the day, they're still missing the mark on how God actually intended things to go.
Nikki Humphrey (26:35)
Yes.
Hope Mangiafico (26:36)
And so we do all these things to grow and to move and to look younger and to learn about health and plants and fill in the blanks. And it's not gonna land. Just like you're saying.
But it's we're trying to hack a system.
That actually can't be hacked, it can only be aligned.
Nikki Humphrey (26:56)
That's right.
Hope Mangiafico (26:56)
In the minutiae.
Nikki Humphrey (26:57)
And if we go back, we always like to go back to the Bible and how Jesus taught, it was slow and methodical and it was with intent.
And I'm sure he stopped and he answered questions and he taught it the different way in the parables. He took the same thing and taught it a different way so people could grasp it wherever they were at.
And I'm trying to listen to like four podcasts during a s six mile run at two X speed. And then I feel really good that I listen to all these episodes. But did what did I really I got tidbits? I got a little nugget here and there.
But I can't remember the fine woven threads.
Hope Mangiafico (27:45)
Yeah.
Nikki Humphrey (27:47)
That brought it all together.
Hope Mangiafico (27:48)
That makes me think about our podcast. Like our podcast is so conversational, and in my opinion, and I'm sure it's the I say that because I can only utilize ours as an example, but I know it's true for everything else. It's in the fine details it comes together. Real time, you and I get words.
On a two X feed you probably missed the word that you just got with minutia, for example. You would have missed it. It wouldn't have landed in your spirit.
I can only listen to our podcast on one and a half or two times speed because I recorded and helped edit, you know, like I I can do it 'cause I have a history already.
Nikki Humphrey (28:24)
Yes.
Hope Mangiafico (28:24)
But even then I remember recording with you and I remember something being good and I'll miss it.
Nikki Humphrey (28:32)
Correct. You're like, where was that? Was that this episode or is that a different episode?
Hope Mangiafico (28:36)
Right.
And we know it intimately.
Which is just wild to think about.
Nikki Humphrey (28:42)
And it's that consumption, like you said, hope we always think more is better.
Hope Mangiafico (28:45)
Say, I think the problem's more. I was literally gonna say it's more of things of this world.
And that's so sneaky.
Nikki Humphrey (28:56)
It's so sneaky, we just realize it in real time.
Hope Mangiafico (29:00)
Right. Because you think, more, more money, more bigger house, cars, nah. More energy. More house. More plants. If I can't have two, I'm gonna have four.
Nikki Humphrey (29:12)
More good
foods, like more special water, like it could be anything. Does it mean it's better?
'Cause our body can only process a certain amount at any given time. Whether that's food, whether that's information, whatever.
Hope Mangiafico (29:28)
It's all
I remember, was this with you? I don't remember. Maybe it was just something on social media, but like people were trying to eat all this like protein. It was like, wait, if you're like trying to hit this crazy amount of protein, then there was like research coming out that you can only actually process like way down here and you're way at the top. And it's like all that effort and like not even utilizing it. That does not surprise me in the slightest bit, though.
And here's the thing I wanna actually emphasize as I was having a conversation with someone. Sean and I have never had a TV in our living room. It's just like it's just not what we do. It's not our form of consumption. If we're gonna talk about consumption. my phone is, so doesn't matter. But I I'm I'm mentioning that because if you look at something face value, so you come into my house, you're like, wow, it's so peaceful, there's no distractions.
Don't let that fool you, the obvious those things in someone's life. To thinking they've got it figured out that there's no idols, like we've said it's sneaky. And when I used to think of idolatry, I would think of TV, Hollywood, movies, things like that. And it's not that. So I I wanted to put that out there because be careful of also looking at someone else's life.
It's really important on so many levels 'cause we've talked about it before. But I was just thinking about me, like you literally would come in here and think all I do is r read my Bible and hang out in a corner and and so peaceful.
Have the case.
Nikki Humphrey (31:03)
But as a person who might walk into a space like that or walk into your home, then I'm making your home an idol because I want I want to achieve that same atmosphere in my home. That's why it's everyday idolatry. We can put these things, we can just walk into somebody's home and it become an idol in our lives.
Hope Mangiafico (31:26)
And you that's a really good example. And it could be something as little as, you like their kitchen island, right? You like you like their barstools. And that opens up the the door to envy and jealousy. You know, like jealousy is you want something off for yourself. So it's really not probably jealousy as much as it's envy. And we hear the word envy, we understand that to a degree, but to Nikki's point.
And I'll be honest, I don't think I've ever saw seen the word envy match with the word idolatry.
'cause envy is I want what you have.
Nikki Humphrey (32:01)
But if you think about it, going back to Old Testament, the people who made idols of themselves were because they were jealous of the other golden monuments,
Hope Mangiafico (32:14)
Yeah.
Nikki Humphrey (32:15)
idols. So they're like, I'm gonna make mine bigger, I'm gonna make mine golder, I'm gonna make mine all of that. And you're not gonna worship that one anymore. Now you're gonna worship mine because it's big and front and center and shiny.
Hope Mangiafico (32:28)
Yeah. It's interesting.
That's so fascinating to me.
Nikki Humphrey (32:32)
It really is, because if you think about like the progression of idols, there's so many different kinds. There's a golden calf. There's statues that look like the people carved out of stone. Like there's pyramids. There's jewelry, you know, that people have little idols on. Things like that. Crystals. All of that.
Hope Mangiafico (32:54)
Well, so here's the thing. what's the first commandment say word for word? Do you have it written down?
If not, it's okay. I think it's just like don't
Nikki Humphrey (33:03)
I just had I just took the excerpt from Exodus twenty verse three. You shall have no other gods before me. I think it's like I am the Lord your God, you shall have no other gods before me.
Hope Mangiafico (33:16)
Yeah, and so I've I w I asked you to read it because I I wanted to make sure I I had the verbiage right on this because we don't even make an idol out of God. He's not even asking you to make an idol out of him, and that's where I was getting to. To Nikki's point and what we shared in the beginning, the definition of an idol is loving something more than him. God is love.
So he is not even asking you to he wants you to worship him. But this is where it gets really interesting, right? Worship and idolatry are not the same thing.
And so if you actually meditate on the first commandment, it's so interesting because putting him as God above everything.
so wild. It's the purity of idolatry. But it's not idolatry.
And he's mindful of that in the commandments.
Nikki Humphrey (34:12)
Mm-hmm.
Hope Mangiafico (34:12)
That feels very complex in my brain. I'm like trying to process it to be honest.
Nikki Humphrey (34:17)
It's so wild if you break it down.
It's not even saying that you can't have any other gods. You just can't have any other god before him.
Hope Mangiafico (34:25)
Mm. Right. It yeah, it it's
Nikki Humphrey (34:28)
So you can sub
in whatever.
You can have you can consume, but you can't overconsume. You know, it's just like the more, going back to your point earlier, it's the more.
Hope Mangiafico (34:40)
Mm.
interesting.
Looking at my notes. It's like hurting my head a little bit to be honest, but in a good way. It's like when is my Yeah, like
Nikki Humphrey (34:46)
It's like blowing my mind. Because he's such a
good father. He wants us to have everything that going back to the our hearts desire, but we have to keep him first.
Hope Mangiafico (35:00)
Yeah, I'm I'm like yeah, I'm really sitting on this
Which would make a lot of s so I'm always viewing things as a threshold and it explains why we have such a hard time on the everyday idolatry not letting something
Become an idol because he gives us all of that capacity up until that point. And he wants us to have all the fullness. And so we we we have to grow in grasping how much fullness that is.
While keeping him in his rightful place. I guess that's the journey of life really. Is we we understand as children, as we're learning how to be children, that he's a good father, he wants good things, but what is that fullness before I cross that line and then he is no longer Lord over my life?
I don't know if that makes sense. I almost see like he's the ceiling. And so it's like a room. And so it's full of all this good stuff. But he's the ceiling. But you can but bust through the roof, we'll call it. Talking about matte people in an episode. Apparently, according to that episode, you could just remove the episode is talking about the scripture where the fringe drop down their friend to the feet of Jesus by removing the roof, right?
And so if you use that same image, roofs are removable. God is the roof. You can fill up the room, but you can move the roof. And our journey is learning how do we stay contained? Because boundaries are for our goodness. And let Him be the protector, prevent us from the winds and the rains. how do we do that? And that's the journey of life.
Nikki Humphrey (36:50)
Thinking about that in the roof, he is our ceiling and we can't go above it.
I don't know, this keeps coming to my mind. So Ezekiel fourteen three says, These men have taken their idols into their hearts.
Hope Mangiafico (37:09)
Mm.
Nikki Humphrey (37:09)
It's something that we covet so much that it becomes part of us.
And we think that we can't live without this thing.
And it's pulling apart and it's causing a wounding in our heart if we feel like we need to give it up.
And
If we just learn that we don't necessarily have to give all the pieces of that up, but it's just those parts that aren't in alignment with God being our roof, our safe harbor, our protector, our the one who is always covering us like the roof.
Hope Mangiafico (37:33)
Yeah.
Nikki Humphrey (37:50)
And that's really interesting to me because a lot of times I have this all or nothing mindset. I have to give it all away and I can't keep anything because it's not safe for me to keep it because I don't know how to steward it well.
Well that's not true. We have to take take it out of our heart, but God's covering us and learn a new way.
To steward those things.
Hope Mangiafico (38:18)
Yeah.
So many of us struggle with the all or nothing mentality. That's the black and white thinking. God lives in the gray. And we don't get us a pendulum, right? It's a wild journey.
As you were speaking about that too, and you were talking about, you know, how it becomes one with us and it's like take tearing this apart and we feel like we're losing something when we have to surrender it. I wanted to speak too on attitudes, heart postures, because I know that we can talk about our phones, information, all these, you know, health, right?
Business ideas, but we can also hold on to anger and being afraid to let it go because it protected us or we believed it's still protecting us. you know, bitterness, fear. Like, as odd as it sounds, those become idols too, because, like you said, Nikki, they're what we go to because it feels like they're protection.
Now I'm having a moment.
I've said it before on episodes that we want to be safe.
And that's the father's heart. But when we utilize these emotions to keep us safe, safety becomes an idol.
I mean super convicted right now. I made safety an idle.
And that can be the emotions, that can be learning the information for your health.
It does go back to control because control feels safe. And you go back to the roof analogy as your protection, that's your safety. And so are we surprised that that's why we struggle so much? Cause that's exactly what he provides at the very like that's the top of the house.
You can't go beyond it, as you said.
Nikki Humphrey (40:23)
It's all these good gifts that God gives us that we try to manipulate.
Hope Mangiafico (40:29)
Yes, exactly. Exactly.
Nikki Humphrey (40:31)
Safety control
consumption.
He's giving us all that, but we try to squeeze a little bit more out of it. And we do that, we don't get the the sweet juice. We get the bitterness. We get the pulp. We get the seeds.
Hope Mangiafico (40:52)
Yeah.
I'll tell you, I feel like this episode is gonna be like settling in me for a couple of days.
Even by your statement you just made.
You said we get the pulp, we get the seeds, like we get that taste from the rind.
And I feel like I want to ask the Lord, like, what areas of my life am I causing seeds and bad taste? Because Lord, I don't want it. I want your containment to the fullness.
And a lot of times I've heard the example of like, you know, you don't when you think of like a basketball court and they have all the lines, right, for like out of bounds and stuff, it's like they're there for a reason, right? Because it produces one, a game. it actually makes things progress forward, right? You have a winner and all of that. And we can understand that in sports.
But we need to translate that into our lives and understanding that, like when we do the surrendering we're talking about and releasing that control, him being the roof and provider is a boundary that makes our lives full to the max. That we can add nothing. What we end up doing is getting the seeds. Here's what's wild. Speaking of seeds, he's such a good father. You end up getting seeds that can get grown later.
Nikki Humphrey (42:12)
Yeah. We can plant those at any time. We have a choice.
Hope Mangiafico (42:15)
Yes.
Nikki Humphrey (42:16)
Do we plant the seeds or do we throw them out?
Hope Mangiafico (42:18)
Yes, right. Because it's gonna be in your your dish or your drink and you gotta make a decision in that moment. What are you gonna do with it?
He's such a good father.
But we have to choose, like, do we want to turn that bitterness into sweetness? Grow a new lime tree. like it's that simple. And then he'll give us seven times what the enemy stole, and he'll you talked about Jove earlier with the health stuff, like we'll get 2x, what was taken from us, even though it was our fault for having something replaced God in our heart.
For us becoming one with someone.
And that's why this conversation about everyday idolatry is so important.
I don't want another day to go by. I mean it does, I'll be honest, but I don't want another day to go by. Where there's something that's replacing that and I am no longer growing, plant choosing to plant the seeds, having the limitation, knowing I'm fully covered, and being grateful for that.
Nikki Humphrey (43:18)
Think that'll do it.
Hope Mangiafico (43:19)
Yeah, me too. Me too, as the sun is coming out.
Nikki Humphrey (43:25)
invite
you listeners at home spend time with God this week
Hope Mangiafico (43:29)
Yeah.
Nikki Humphrey (43:29)
and ask him to reveal the everyday idols in your house in your mind that's cluttering your thoughts your relation blocking your relationship with him and others he's a good father
Hope Mangiafico (43:46)
my gosh.
Nikki Humphrey (43:47)
he will let you know
Hope Mangiafico (43:48)
Yes, with joy. And remember it's an invitation, not condemnation.
Nikki Humphrey (43:51)
That's right.
Hope Mangiafico (43:52)
Mm. Until next time, we'll see you in the overflow.
