“Has a nation changed its gods,

even though they are no gods?

But My people have changed their glory

for that which does not profit.”

Jeremiah 2:11 ESV

Women are bombarded with so many pressures from beauty, to relationships, to career choices. In a worldly perspective, the measure of our worth and success comes from how beautiful we are on the outside, our relationship status, wealth and job success. While those things are not wrong to desire, sin takes place the moment we turn our hearts from God to chase those other things that are worthless compared to Him.

God understands our needs as women to feel beautiful, to feel loved, to be confident, and to feel happy. More and more, the media tells us how to find happiness, how to be confident, how to find love, and how to be beautiful. God sees all that bombards the lives of women, their hearts, and their minds.

“For My people have committed two evils;

they have forsaken Me,

the fountain of living waters,

and hewed out cisterns for themselves,

broken cisterns that can hold no water.”

Jeremiah 2:13 ESV

I wouldn’t be telling the truth if vanity, marriage, and success didn’t take my eye off from God from time to time. The struggle is real and the war that these pressures wage against us are constant. What women truly value and desire can never be met in trying to be beautiful on the outside because beauty fades away (Proverbs 31:30). It will never be met with the happiest marriage, living a life of independent singleness, or casual dating. It will never be met with achieving a college degree or that perfect job with the perfect salary. While most of these things are good, they can easily take the place of God in our hearts.

What are we seeking? Are we striving for beauty? Are we striving for a happy relationship? Are we striving for success and wealth? Repent. The bible calls this “striving after the wind” because compared to God, these things are worthless (Ecclesiastes 1:14).

“You have played the whore with many lovers;

and would you return to me?

declares the Lord.”

Jeremiah 3:1c ESV

Ladies, I know that none of us want to think of ourselves as adulterers, but that is what the Bible calls a bride who forgets her real ornaments of beauty in Christ and forgets her true Love to seek her desire in other things (Jeremiah 2:32). The bible calls a person who wavers and turns aside to chase after other gods and lovers, a whore (Jeremiah 3:1). Are any of these things mentioned catching your eye? Are they making you think twice? Friends, pay attention to when God is speaking to your heart about an issue He sees arising in you, His beloved daughter and child.

“Return, O faithless sons;

I will heal your faithlessness.”

Jeremiah 3:22a ESV

When our walk has strayed too far or our hearts dug too deep into worthless things, God alone can save and heal. As women, we need to learn and recognize when we have begun to love the creation more than the Creator. We must be alert, sober-minded, and recognize when our eyes are stayed too long on the TV or phone rather than the presence of God. We must recognize when our study for beauty secrets and fitness plans succeeds our study of God’s word. We must be aware when our time chasing financial growth and job promotions succeeds our time spent to achieve spiritual growth and building up the inner woman of God.

“If you return, O Israel,

declares the Lord,

to Me you should return.

If you remove your detestable things from My presence,

and do not waver,

if you swear, ‘As the LORD lives,’

in truth, in justice, and in righteousness,

then nations shall bless themselves in Him,

and in Him they shall glory.”

Jeremiah 4:1-2 ESV

Returning to God becomes harder the more we stay stuck in the ways of the world. The bible says our hearts are wickedly deceitful, hence, the tendency to love our idols more than our Savior. How do we make sure Jesus is on the throne of our hearts again? How do we put things in their proper place again? God’s grace will help us return to Him, dear sister. When God has our attention, we must then, make every effort to remove anything that came between our intimacy with God.

Friend, trust God to heal you. Let Him be your healer. Let Him turn your faithlessness into faithfulness to Him again.

Dear Heavenly Father,

Forgive us for making idols for ourselves. Forgive us for loving worthless things that cannot even save. Grant us the grace to return wholeheartedly to You. May we be found faithful in Your sight.

In Jesus’ Name,

Amen.