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“You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in
heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below.” – Exodus 20:4
When you
think of idol, what comes to mind?
For me, it is the material possessions that I long for, the cars, house, TVs, tools and “stuff” that I believe will make my life perfect. Many would agree with me on this point, while others might step back and think about the people that we place on pedestals – actors/actresses, athletes, politicians, or family members. Have you ever considered that your daily habits could be considered an idol: work, shopping, school or even food? Anything that takes precedence over your relationship with God Almighty is an idol. Anything you cannot live without, that you are unwilling to walk away from to serve Him, is an idol.
You might say, “Well that seems pretty harsh.”, and you would be right, it is. But, it’s reality. God is not willing to be second to anything in your life. According to Ed Cole, in his book “Maximized Manhood”, “. . . idolatry is a value system that we create, and in which we esteem something to be more worthy of our devotion than devotion to God.” Well this pretty much opens up the meaning to everything from TV shows to food to people to things to thoughts.
We are caught up in idolatry as a society today, and it is drawing us farther and farther from the One we need to be running to. Let me give you a few examples of those things I count in my list of idolatry and then I ask you to also consider those things in your list.
1. Family
2. Work
3. Money
4. Power/ Authority
How would your list compare? Think about those things that you could not give up in order to serve God. I’m sure I idolize many more things than these three, but when it really comes down to it, I struggle with these when I am challenged to step up and give more of myself to God’s calling on my life. Fear of the unknown, lack of trust and the inability to see the outcome all become obstacles in my decisions to take that next step. When it all comes down to it, this represents an unwillingness or rebellion against God’s desire for me to trust Him completely. Like an obstinate child who does not do what their parents tell them, but instead continues to pursue life under their own rules; we do the same thing to God.
God gave us the 10 Commandments as His guidelines for becoming more Christlike in our lives. We look at them as suggestions on how to live a good life, when in reality they are commandments from God Almighty’s own finger. He never says you can’t have nice things, a beautiful family or a great job and wealth. He does say that we shall not put those things above Him though. Carefully think through your list of idols and give it over to God to help you come to a place where you trust more in Him than in these things.
For me, it is the material possessions that I long for, the cars, house, TVs, tools and “stuff” that I believe will make my life perfect. Many would agree with me on this point, while others might step back and think about the people that we place on pedestals – actors/actresses, athletes, politicians, or family members. Have you ever considered that your daily habits could be considered an idol: work, shopping, school or even food? Anything that takes precedence over your relationship with God Almighty is an idol. Anything you cannot live without, that you are unwilling to walk away from to serve Him, is an idol.
You might say, “Well that seems pretty harsh.”, and you would be right, it is. But, it’s reality. God is not willing to be second to anything in your life. According to Ed Cole, in his book “Maximized Manhood”, “. . . idolatry is a value system that we create, and in which we esteem something to be more worthy of our devotion than devotion to God.” Well this pretty much opens up the meaning to everything from TV shows to food to people to things to thoughts.
We are caught up in idolatry as a society today, and it is drawing us farther and farther from the One we need to be running to. Let me give you a few examples of those things I count in my list of idolatry and then I ask you to also consider those things in your list.
1. Family
2. Work
3. Money
4. Power/ Authority
How would your list compare? Think about those things that you could not give up in order to serve God. I’m sure I idolize many more things than these three, but when it really comes down to it, I struggle with these when I am challenged to step up and give more of myself to God’s calling on my life. Fear of the unknown, lack of trust and the inability to see the outcome all become obstacles in my decisions to take that next step. When it all comes down to it, this represents an unwillingness or rebellion against God’s desire for me to trust Him completely. Like an obstinate child who does not do what their parents tell them, but instead continues to pursue life under their own rules; we do the same thing to God.
God gave us the 10 Commandments as His guidelines for becoming more Christlike in our lives. We look at them as suggestions on how to live a good life, when in reality they are commandments from God Almighty’s own finger. He never says you can’t have nice things, a beautiful family or a great job and wealth. He does say that we shall not put those things above Him though. Carefully think through your list of idols and give it over to God to help you come to a place where you trust more in Him than in these things.
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