Do you see aiming too low as an act of idolatry? Why or why not?

The reasons for aiming too low are complex, especially if we’ve never been helped with a vision for pursuing God with all our hearts. And we create idols for things we perceive that we don’t have. Anything can become an idol. A car, a relationship, a job, anything. We feel a longing deep inside for more. Without parents and a church community we struggle to go beyond the idols to experiencing love relationships and an appetite for God that fulfills us in ways the lower things never can.

I initially didn’t think of this aiming too low as an act of idolatry. After pondering, I can see where it could be possible. For example, if a women’s first desire, desire of convenience, was to lose weight the focus could become so intense that an eating disorder or unhealthy body may become the consequence. When focus comes out of balance, this could look more like something on a pedestal, similar to an idol. The women can be fixated on this issue to the point of harm to herself.

Yes as you focus on less than God

I think if I do not take a deeper look at my core longings I miss out on soul life. If I remain with lower passions, I miss out on rich relationship with God.

Aiming too low per Dr. Crabb’s lecture means to focus on the Desires of convenience and Importance as if they will satisfy us.
It can be an act of idolatry because these desires would be first and foremost in our thoughts and pursuits, and we are not to desire anything more than God which would be idolatry.

I do not think aiming too low is an act of idolatry unless the desire becomes something like an addiction/habit that the person beslaves to it. Using the illustration of this lesson, there is an immediate need to find the car key and I do npt see that as an act of idolatry. It is needed for her to not miss the appointment. However, if she worries so much and even if for eample that she use other means to get to her appointment; yety cannot focus on listening to the doctor, keep thnking about where she placed the keys, worried that she lost it or misplaced it elsewhere other than her home and let her thoughts run wide. Then the continuous actions become ‘an idolarty’ like act.

I don’t believe aiming too low is an act of idolatry. I believe aiming too low in our desires is the result of not knowing or understanding our deepest desires. Could aiming too low turn into idolatry? Yes, of course it can. I believe the Lord will be the judge of that.

I don’t like to face this but yes. If the definition of idolatry is placing any thing or any one above our relationship with God, then yes, when these “things” are our highest aim, they’d be idols. Yikes! I’m guilty in more ways than I want to think about.

Yes and no depending on a few things. It can be an act of idolatry when we have discovered intellectually that God is our deepest desire and we have yet to shift our hearts to truly believing this fact and move in life with this being our focus. If we are simply unaware of our deepest desires, it can be just out of ignorance and not an act of defiance. However, at the core of the issue, I do believe even ignorance can lead to idolatry.

An idol is an object we are extremely devoted to. If we are looking at “I” as the thing we are devoted to. If the smaller goals or desires trump our relationship with Him and HIs then we will be serving them more than Him, so yes they can be. The other side of that coin or almost (not quite) paradox is that we need to love our neighbor as ourselves. If we put God only and do not know He loves us and them deeply then we will not be balanced in this.

Honestly, I’m not sure if I understand the question.

But, ultimately, with the power of The Spirit, we ought to always seek to do the things God has called us to. We ought to be ok with our circumstances, knowing that God is ultimately our source of joy, and He will sustain us.

“Aiming too low” is replacing our consuming passion from who God is and what He can give, with other forms of persons, place, or things. In this sense, it is an act of idolatry. We move away from God, and turn to other forms to satisfy us. Dissatisfaction in life is near the root of all kinds of sin.

When the desires become demands and they are for self satifactiin. Self centered and not God centered. These can become an act idolatory indeed!

Yes and no, The garden of Eden we fell, chose wrong, but she we wallow in that mistake or seek to correct it and move on and learn. It is a journey, not a done deal. it is an adventure in discovering who and what God designed you to be. Repeating the same choices, mistakes and just not advancing, yes big mistake, but getting up trying again ands seeking God in relationship after each fall, priceless