I just love the Christmas song: We Have a Savior! if you have never heard this song, can you guess what it is about?  Indeed, it is about Jesus coming as the Savior of the world to save us from our sin.  But let me ask you this:  is there something or someone in your life that has morphed into a “savior”?  Perhaps it is the boyfriend or friend you try ridiculously hard to please.  Or the diet you think will help you achieve your dream weight.  And let us not forget the “exercise regimen” that requires much more than you can ever realistically do. 

During this holiday season, let me clarify the difference between a Savior and an idol.  Our Savior, Jesus Christ, is literally a light that came to save the world.  In John 14:6 (ESV), we see that Jesus states “I am the way, the truth and the light.”  He came to SAVE us as the SAVIOR.  In the good ole Meriam Webster dictionary, it states that savior (in the Jesus sense) means one who brings salvation.  So, during this holiday season, if you are in the darkest pit of your life, YOU have a SAVIOR that can bring you into the light because He is the Light!  As our Savior, he took all of our sin on the cross and said, “It is finished”.  YOU don’t have to do any work to be saved…. Jesus already did.  

On the other hand, an idol is an object of extreme devotion (in a negative sense). An idol is very sneaky at having YOU work hard and strive for perfection or achievement, but never allowing you to achieve anything but shame or disappointment.  Perhaps your idol leaves you with a perpetual feeling of “not good enough” (unhealthy relationship).  Or leaves you feeling empty inside (the diet that never works).  And your idol can leave you feeling exhausted even though you have worked your booty off trying to do something great (working out for calories in, calories out).  

Now think again to that person or thing in your life that you consider a savior and reflect on whether it truly is your Savior or an idol.  I am here to tell you from past experiences, that the ONLY person who can save you is Jesus!   He is the only one who can help you find freedom from all of your idols.  Looking back, I see how the enemy used so many idols in my life to keep my mind off my true Savior.  Whether it was the treadmill for hours at a time, calorie counting, the scale, straight A’s, or striving to get people to like me, NONE of it saved me.  In fact, it threw me into a miry pit where I had to surrender to my one and only Savior.  He was the ONLY thing that saved me from myself and my idols.      

Wherever you are this CHRISTmas, our prayer for you at BodyBloved is that you can truly find freedom knowing that you have a Savior. He will fill you in ways you could never imagine.  When you are tempted to bow down to the idols in your life, sing out loud “I Have a Savior”.  In fact, turn the volume up and listen to Hillsong sing about YOUR Savior!  “The Light has come…this is Christmas.  Joy to the world!  Tell all the world, we…YOU, have a Savior! We are no longer lost.”  AMEN and Merry CHRISTmas!

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Food Freedom Bible Study is now available for individuals and Registered Dietitians who want to earn CEU’s. It’s a simple, online, gospel-centered program for breaking the bondage of food, exercise and body issues.