Say the word “idols” and you will get all kinds of ideas of what people are thinking. Some will think of stone or statue-like idols, like those found in Hindu or Buddhist temples or Catholic churches. And yes, those kinds of idols are a powerful spiritual evil. But it is important to realize that the Bible has a much wider version of what an idol is.
Important fact: Scripture defines an idol as anything that exercises rule and control over our heart, which God alone should have. Each event, each purchase, each person, each hobby, each daily exercise that is more important to me than God is an idol. It is easy to excuse what I just said by saying, “But it’s just a hobby!” Or “It’s just a game!” or (fill in the blank). God designed all of us to be worshipers. Yes, it is true that “there is a God-shaped vacuum in each of that only God can fill,” but it is also equally true that we struggle maintaining priorities as to who or what will play the dominant role in our lives. Idols are not always evil things, but idolatry always is. Paul David Tripp wrote: “A desire for even a good thing becomes a bad thing when it becomes a ruling thing.” (Everyday Gospel Devotional-June 30-p.228)
Psalm 115 is an interesting psalm. It starts out with “Not to us, O Lord, not to us, but to your name goes all the glory for unfailing love and faithfulness.” Okay…good so far. I can grasp that God gets all the glory. But then the psalm takes an interesting turn in verses 3-8. Almost with a sarcastic and mocking tone, he makes sure we know facts about idols:
- Their idols are merely things of silver and gold, shaped by human hands.
- They have mouths but cannot speak, and eyes but cannot see.
- They have ears but cannot hear, and noses but cannot smell.
- They have hands but cannot feel, and feet but cannot walk, and throats but cannot make a sound.
That is a pretty harsh description of idols that we often worship. Quite the contrast to “O Israel, trust the Lord! He is your helper and your shield.” (v.9) and “All you who fear the Lord, trust the Lord! He is your helper and your shield.” (v.11)
The idols of wood, stone, or clay offer us nothing but heartache and emptiness. Satisfaction is found only in the ONE who is full of unfailing love and faithfulness. We all must answer the question: What rules your heart?
{Note: All Scripture from the New Living Translation}
You’ve given us such a great wake-up call for this Monday as our week is just beginning, Bill. Who and what takes first priority in our lives? Great and most worthy concepts to contemplate in earnest. May your week be blessed!
Thanks for the encouraging remark Martha. It is a wake up call for me to be sure. Too many things want to battle for first place
The battle for my attention continues to increase day by day. When I was a child, we had 3 tv stations, no Internet, no smart phones and yet, I still found ways to occupy my time. The ever increasing push to consume more of my time through more channels and programs that could ever be watched in a lifetime through the various streaming apps, cable channels and endless content being produced every minute for online consumption. More game systems and downloadable content that can keep one fully consumed every waking hour…. And if that wasn’t enough, the phone that is connected to the Internet so no matter where we are or what we are doing, we can be interrupted with the latest Like, Comment, Alert, and mindless scrolling.
Yet…We hear, and maybe even say…
carving time out of my morning or evening for God is too much effort and too much interruption in my life.
Thankfully, I am over that hurdle and finding that I can’t start my morning or end my day without prayer, meditation, and Thanksgiving… And there is still so much more I need to give up. Search me God, identify the idols in my life that have found a place of importance that really need to be taken off the pedestal and destroyed.
Thanks Ryan for that honest and probing comment. You “bared” yourself to us and I am listening. I don’t have the endless gaming systems and other draws some have but I do have to battle the noise of music and entertainment. I love listening to music but I know it is a distraction. I like being active but I know it can become an idol to me. Some hurdles I am over; others I’m not. I still carve out time for my daily devotions and alone time with God. But I need to be more diligent and “there” when I do.
It’s easy to claim I don’t have any wooden, stone or clay idols, but not so easy to say that I keep all my thoughts captive with God. I cannot say that as much as I claim God is first in my life, and most important, that way to often I place other non important things in front of God. My pursuit of loving God with all my heart, all my soul, falls short of that pursuit even when I tell myself I will not let that happen. Thank-you Father for new mercies every morning. Please keep shaping me, forming me, and convict me to repentance when I put anything in front of the glory of God.
If we are honest, we would all say we fall short of putting God first and placing things in front of Him. Your prayer is an important one to get going in that direction.