Modern Idols

The Pastor preached on idols recently and I didn’t give it a lot of thought personally, because at the time I didn’t see how it applied to my life.  (Yeah, right! Right?)  Idols are anything that comes between a person and God.  Normally we associate idols with money, TV, or iPad/computer games, sports, gambling, pornography, people and any other variety of things that demand a huge chunk of our time or attention.  There are even TV shows dedicated to this idea.   “American Idol” is only one of them.   As I listened to the sermon with interest, I held a certain amount of “that doesn’t apply to me” attitude.  At the time, I couldn’t think of anything I was really putting before God.  But I wasn’t being honest and that is probably true of most of us.  

https://www.google.com/search?q=pictures+of+modern+idols

That said, I was dreadfully disappointed this week because I had a situation which did not materialize as I had hoped.  I had counted on this “event” for weeks!  Yet, I was faced with the reality that it was not to be.  In a twisted kind of way, as I thought about it, it occurred to me that in effect, I had made this “event” an idol.  I had counted on it, rather than letting God handle the situation to His specifics.  (Of course it might be He was just teaching me a lesson. We all need those now and then!)  But wasn’t I using my human-ness to “plan” for this event on my terms?  Isn’t using my “human-ness” to come between me and God creating an idol since I was counting on it; believing in it?  Didn’t I believe I had this all figured out?  God had other plans!

In the midst of a world that dances with idols, it was refreshing when the mission team, who recently went to Nicaragua, shared the team handed out Testaments to the children there.  These young people were overjoyed at receiving this gift, of God’s Word, where in their world it is considered a huge treasure. Personally, I could probably count twenty or more Bibles in my home.  One I’ve had since I was a very young child, there are two “family Bibles” with our family genealogy filling the spaces on the front pages; my husband’s Bibles, and then there are mine.  I have a variety of different versions, several on the computer, and those Bibles on the shelf my children neglected to take when they left home since they each had more than one themselves.  

I am certain my home doesn’t represent a minority among Christian households.  Many homes have Bibles, even in some non-Christian or un-churched family homes.  Bibles seem to be in abundance in our culture.  Yet when asked just how much time is spent in the Word, I’m afraid the answer would make most cringe.  Many people will even profess to take those three minutes in the morning to read a devotion, often without reading the Biblical text which accompanies it; add a thirty second prayer so we’ve done our duty of “checking in” with the Father every day.   And then we’re off doing other “more important” things.  There are times I’m as guilty of this as the next person.

Given my writing genre, I tend to be in the Word more than the average person who doesn’t write Christian material.   But, if I am only in the Word to write Christian material, I’ve cheated myself out of a precious relationship with The Lord.  I have put other things ahead of Him.  I have inadvertently created idols because I’ve allowed the world to rearrange my priorities.  Those things, which we put before God, even if it's not something concrete, which dominates our time and attention or something we are counting on --and believing in-- rather than letting God take the lead, can indeed qualify as being an idol.

So I ask you, as you reflect over this last week, how much time did you spend with The Lord?  Did you find yourself rearranging your day since it was over-booked and decided to leave out time with Jesus…..just this once?  If you look carefully, can you see an idol you have inadvertently created in your life?  If you can, I suggest you are breaking fellowship with the One who loves you more than life itself; with the One who gave His life for you.  How’s that working for you?  Can your “modern idol” meet all your needs?  Is it worth separation from the only True God?