The Vicious Cycle of Idolatry and Loneliness

Has Your Escape Become an Idol?

Our conscience is the first tip-off. Do we have freedom in our conscience to indulge in whatever we're doing? Do we have regret after indulging in it? Most people can sense when they've crossed a line. Sometimes we blur those lines due to repetitive use of something as an escape—we can grow callous to what we're doing. And what started as a coping mechanism becomes so much a part of life that it works itself into our identity. Then we don't even see anymore that it is an escape, and we're trapped.

Finding God in My Loneliness

Lydia Brownback

Lydia Brownback offers biblical encouragement for women to help them see how God can redeem seasons of loneliness and draw them to the only true and lasting remedy: union with Jesus.

God is so kind, though—he doesn't leave us trapped. He'll come and he'll nudge our conscience. He'll let consequences come as a result of illicit escapes. Everybody has those, whether other people know about them or not. Everybody's got some way of coping with their bad feelings—television, internet, food, drugs, drinking—and then we try to manage and minimize these coping mechanisms so they don't take over our lives. We use them to ease us through a difficult hour or two, but it doesn't work for very long, and it definitely doesn't solve anything. It may make us feel better for a little while, but it's no solution.

We will only find a solution if we (1) acknowledge that we're escaping, and (2) are willing to look away from those means of escape to examine ourselves and ask, "What is it I'm running from? What am I afraid of?" Then you take it to the Lord, and perhaps to another person.

Lydia Brownback (MAR, Westminster Theological Seminary) is the author of several books in addition to the Flourish Bible Study series, including the On-the-Go Devotionals for women; Finding God in My Loneliness; and Sing a New Song. She is a regular speaker at conferences and events and is passionate about teaching God's word.