Pinterest: A Public Display of Affection

This is a blog long in the making.  Don't get me wrong. I LOVE Pinterest, but I have noticed in my own "pinning" and in others, that we must be careful with our flesh.  If you haven't been introduced to the wonderful world of pinning, let me explain.  Pinterest is like a virtual pin board where you put all the magazine clippings, ideas, and articles that you don't want to forget about.  It is an amazing way to plan events and get ideas for just about anything.  It is a bride-to-be's dream (hence my and my sister in law's current obsession with it)!  And get this...its public.  Every.  Single.  Pin.

So whats not to love?  The Lord has been gracious to reveal a lot to me about idols.  An idol is anything you worship over God himself.  I used to think idols were literal "carved images" (think Buddah).  But they are much more than that.  An idol is anything you love more than you love the Lord.  Anything you think of more than Him.  Anything you think will give you life outside of Him.  It is a (usually unaware) belief that something will make you happy, complete.

What does Pinterest have to do with this?  It gives us access to everything we could ever want in one place.  Of course, it is all still in wish form, but still yet.  We can browse and pin and covet and have it all cataloged in one place neatly sorted into areas that will make our marriage, home, parenting perfect.  This has been eating away at me for months.  As I sit back and watch single girls with no promise of marriage plan their future wedding, my soul groans.  What if the Lord calls them to singleness for life?  What if they never have enough money for that perfect kitchen?  Or what if infertility doesn't allow them to have that rosy cheeked newborn?  Hear me out, none of those things are wrong.  They are all precious gifts that I praise God for.  But there is no hope or happiness in and of themselves.  My fear is that as we pin and wish and assume, we make demands on the Lord.  And we believe deep down that those things are promised, and they will be all we ever hoped for.  And they will not.

I think there are biblical principles to apply even as we browse Pinterest.  Are we guarding our hearts (Proverbs 4:23) against things that will makes us discontent, envious or bitter?  Are we believing that something outside of Christ will make us happy, whole or content?  Psalm 37:4 says "Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart".

My love for Pinterest is unwavering.  I have gotten hundreds of great ideas for photo shoots,  Lauren's wedding, birthdays, decor, and homeschool stuff.  But my guard is officially up.  I realize more now than ever what I am quick to idolize.  And even if it is a precious, white, open kitchen where I can serve my family while my kids play and memorize scripture, it is still an idol.

But there hope.  As we become aware of what we are quick to idolize, grace peeks out from behind the dead stone.  The desires we have are good ones, God-given even.  But when they take control and leave Jesus in the dust of their magical false fairytale, that's when things get ugly.  Our God is jealous, and He wants your WHOLE heart.  And He will do whatever it takes to get it.  "He knows what is best and He will not let there be peace until He alone controls our hearts" (Paul Tripp).  So count it all grace as He reveals to you (and sometimes strips from you) the things you love more than Him.  He loves you far too much to let you settle for pig slop when He offers you the Kings feast.