Are There High Places

Standing In My Life?

 

 

 

Lately, I have been reading through 1 and 2 Kings during my morning Bible time. One thing that has stood out to me is how often the Bible describes a king who did many good things and even followed God in significant ways. Yet over and over, there is a small detail repeated:

 

“But the high places were not taken away.”

 

At first, I wondered why God would continue mentioning something that seemed so minor when these kings had accomplished so much good.

 

The high places were locations where people worshipped idols and false gods. While some kings served the Lord, they allowed these places to remain. They left room for other things to be worshipped.

 

As I continued reading, I noticed something else. Many of those kings had children who became kings after them. While not always the case, many of those sons eventually turned away from God and followed idols themselves. The idols their fathers had tolerated became the idols their children embraced.

 

That thought stopped me.

 

What “high places” am I leaving standing in my own life?

 

I am not talking about carved idols or pagan temples. I am talking about the things that quietly compete for my affection, attention, and devotion. The things that I make room for even while claiming to follow God.

 

As parents, our children often learn more from what we tolerate than from what we teach. They see what excites us, what consumes our time, what we prioritize, and what we pursue. It has often been said that our children tend to do in excess what we do in moderation.

 

That realization has challenged me. It has caused me to examine my own heart and ask where I may be leaving room for idols to remain.

 

As I thought about these kings, I was also reminded of something important. Removing idols from our lives is not what saves us. We cannot earn our way to heaven by doing better, trying harder, or cleaning up our hearts.

 

The Bible tells us that we are all sinners. Our only hope is found in Jesus Christ. Salvation comes when we recognize our need for a Savior and place our faith in Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection. Eternal life is not earned by our works but received through faith in Him.

 

In fact, it is because of what Christ has done for us that we desire to remove the idols from our lives. We do not pursue holiness in order to be saved; we pursue holiness because we have been saved.

 

As God continues to work in my heart, I want Him to reveal the “high places” that still remain. Not so that I can earn His favor, but because I love Him and desire to follow Him more faithfully.

 

I am not going to share the specific areas God has been working on in my life, but I will ask the same question of you:

 

What high places are still standing in your life?

 

What are those who are watching your life learning from what you allow?

 

May we not only desire to follow God ourselves, but also remove the things that might lead the next generation away from Him.

 

“Little children, keep yourselves from idols. Amen.” — 1 John 5:21 (KJV)