Exodus 20:3-4
You shall have no other gods before me. You shall not make for yourself an image in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below.
I remember reading about idolatry in the Bible and thinking it’s a thing of the past. As Greg Dutcher pointed out in his book, You Are the Treasure That I Seek, But There’s a Lot of Cool Stuff Out There, Lord, most Americans believe idols are something you read about in National Geographic, not USA Today. If you’re anything like me, you’d be fooled into thinking idolatry doesn’t apply to us because we don’t carve false gods out of wood and bow down to them. We’re safe, right?! Actually, Americans are anything but immune to this form of sin, and it’s actually a silent disease that’s killing us all. Jesus warns us many times in the Bible to beware of idolatry. Luke 12:15, “And He said to them, ‘Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness…'” Yikes! So it does apply to us. What is idolatry, anyway?
Idolatry comes in many forms, but its main theme includes anything that you love more than you love God. It takes the place of what God can and wants to do for us, whether its feeling satisfied, receiving affection, or the ways we spend our time. Examples that Dutcher used were relying on Ben & Jerry’s ice cream to motivate us to finish our work, or turning to Xbox for unhealthy amounts of time as entertainment. Thanks to my friends, Eli and Amri, I finally caved and got the Bible App. I don’t know what was keeping me from doing it before, but I’m glad that I did. I’ve found many awesome plans, one of which pointed out to me that work is worship. Colossians 3:23, one of my favorite verses, says, “Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people.” THAT should be what gets us through the day. Ben & Jerry’s is tasty, but Jesus’ goodness is better. Psalm 34:8, “Taste and see that the LORD is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in him.” How are we spending the precious time that God has given us? Are we constantly listening for the call of our Creator, or are we playing Call of Duty more? It’s okay to spend some time playing video games and catching up with friends on Facebook, but who are we devoting more time to — God or ourselves?
Recently, I went to a workshop at SALT called Covert Killer about how our smart phones, social media, Netflix, and any other technology have all become idols to us. Matthew 5:30 says, “And if your right hand causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell.” We have to cut off what causes us to sin. In all transparency, I deleted my Instagram app because I found myself comparing myself to others and finding validation in how many ‘likes’ I got. If my post didn’t reach 100 likes within an hour, it had to be deleted. What kind of mess is that?! Meanwhile, God is calling out to me to remind me how beautiful I am as His daughter.
A couple of days ago, I went to the mall to pass time, but I ended up in every store with a new want. I want better clothes. I want more money. I want to look a certain way. I want to impress friends with my new style. I want. I want. I want. I even found myself praying that God would help me find a sale on cute clothes. What?! Page 82 of the book I mentioned earlier says, “More often than not, prayer can actually be twisted into a request for more idols.” I had to ask for forgiveness for asking God to give me something that I’ve placed before Him. Isaiah 55:2 says, “Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread, and your labor for that which does not satisfy? Listen diligently to me, and eat what is good, and delight yourselves in rich food.” I did end up buying one thing at the mall, which was a new pair of sunglasses to remind me that the devil is shady and I’ve been blinded by the rays of idolatry! Praise God for revealing this to me!
After leaving the the mall, I made my way to Half Price Books to indulge in some good reads that would help me get closer to Jesus, and I’m so glad I spent money on wisdom rather than false gods. Next on the list was food. I saw an Outback and decided I wanted some sweet rolls and $5 steak bites from the kids menu. I sat down and anticipated the glorious rolls that were [not] to come, but was disappointed at the bread that was served to my table. I then realized I had confused Outback for Texas Roadhouse! At this point, I was either going to pretend I meant to go to Outback and risk paying for something a little more pricey to avoid embarrassment, or boldly proclaim my mistake and make my way to Texas Roadhouse. Those rolls are too good to pass up, so in humility I told the waiter what had happened and I left. If we want to inherit the Kingdom, we have to humbly admit our faults, including idolatry, and ask God for forgiveness.
When I got to Texas Roadhouse, a menu was placed in front of me. I went there particularly for the steak bites and smokey green beans, but I was tempted to just take a look. What happens when you look at the menu? You might find something else you would like and end up getting it instead! I had every intention to get steak bites, but I knew myself better than that. Similarly, we never intend to give our hearts away to the world, but that’s exactly what happens when we “window shop” for sin. We go to the mall thinking we won’t buy anything. “I just want to look,” we say. “I just want to try it on to see what it looks like on me,” said every girl who should have left her credit card at home. If you look, you stumble. Psalm 119:37 says, “Turn my eyes away from worthless things; preserve my life according to your word.” Do not even entertain the world and its choices. You know what you came here to do (serve the Lord, just in case you actually didn’t know. I got you.)! The world has nothing of value to offer you. Keeping Up with the Kardashians can be an idol. Wanting to look like Beyoncé can be an idol. Winning a competition can be an idol. How your favorite sports team does in the World Series can be idol. Anything that you adore more than our Father is an idol. It breaks His heart!! We chase popularity (likes), money, success, an image, constant entertainment, pleasure, and the list goes on and on. It never stops!! You’ll never be fully satisfied by anything other than Jesus. Idols keep you wanting more, but if you drink from His well, you’ll never thirst again.
Psalm 139:24 gives us a way to ask God how to turn from our idolatrous ways, “Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.” It is urgent that we humbly ask God to remove the idols from our hearts and make us new. Philippians 3:7-8 says it perfectly, “But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ.” Our gains in this world are temporary, and they keep us from growing more intimate with the Father as pride creeps in. It takes loss of our flesh to truly gain. It could be as simple as deleting the Instagram app like I did, watching fewer shows on Netflix to spend that time reading your Bible, spending less money on yourself to give that money back to God, working diligently with a joyful spirit, or listening to music that glorifies God rather than our flesh. Don’t gain the whole world just to lose your soul. Time is so valuable, and every moment counts for eternity. Jesus is calling, but so are the American idols. Don’t look at the menu. Instead, keep your eyes on Jesus and don’t be blinded by the world. Put on your shades, your polka dotted rain boots, and get in the kayak. And remember, God is the only one who truly satisfies.
Psalm 107:9
For he satisfies the longing soul, and the hungry soul he fills with good things.
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It's a Colorful Life 