More on the idols of ideals

A few weeks ago,  I wrote about how easy it is to turn our ideals into idols.   We find something good and noble and lovely and cling to it with all we have, as if our devotion to that thing makes us righteous or holy or more godly.  (Or maybe our devotion to that idea just makes us comfortable.)

This week I got another reminder about turning our ideals into idols, from My Utmost for His Highest: Selections for Everyday:

"Beware of making a fetish of consistency to your convictions instead of being devoted to God.  The one consistency of the saint is not to a principle but to the Divine life.  It is the Divine life which continually make more and more discoveries about the Divine mind.  It is easier to be a fanatic than a faithful soul..."

It's a great reminder of how quickly we align ourselves with certain principles and ideas and how this can easily detour us towards devotion to a viewpoint and away from devotion to God.  It's also a great reminder of how our ideas and principle should be a bit fluid, allowing for us to grow in our understanding of what God desires for us.  It doesn't mean that we are like a man believes in nothing or who blows in the breeze of whatever thoughts we find appealing.  It does mean that we should not become dogmatic in our beliefs, especially in areas where there are a wide variety of interpretations.  Faith is a journey not a destination and if we think we've arrived, I'm guessing we're probably not in the place where we think we are.