Idols are easy to identify when they're pagan images or statues. That's why most Christians don't consider idolatry a modern problem.
But it is. Anything that steals our devotion from God is an idol in our lives. It can be something neutral like sports, food, or hobbies. It can even be something "good" like family, church, health, or fitness.
Here are four sample questions to ponder. The underlined words are only examples. Replace them with anything in your life that might fit:
1. Are you passionate about politics but silent about the Lord?
2. Are you excited about your favorite sports event but indifferent about evangelizing your unsaved neighbor?
3. Are you available for your friends and family but too busy to spend time with the Lord?
4. Are you careful about your diet but careless about the things you feed your soul (e.g. entertainment, reading, music)?
Examining our lives is an important part of "working out our salvation" and growing in our faith (Philippians 2:12-13).
1 John 5:21: "Dear children, keep yourselves from idols."
1 Corinthians 10:7: "Do not be idolaters, as some of them were; as it is written: 'The people sat down to eat and drink and got up to indulge in revelry.'"
Ephesians 5:5: "For of this you can be sure: No immoral, impure or greedy person--such a person is an idolater--has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God."
Matthew 6:24: "No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money."
Bible Love Notes
Would Singers, Movie Stars be considered idols?
ReplyDeleteHi Nita,
DeleteIn this devotion, I tried to mention less obvious idols in our lives, but you are absolutely right.
Sports, TV, music, and movie celebrities can become our idols. We can also make food, drugs, and sex idols. Or we can actually worship pagan gods. All of these things are idols.
We were made to worship God, and if we move away from God, we begin to create other idols to worship.
Thanks for stopping by
I recently read in Proverbs that a rich man's money is like a high wall surrounding a city in his mind. I think our money is often where we turn for security instead of to God making it one of those subtle and sophisticated idols!
ReplyDeleteThis is such a good reminder! I have to be on my guard about making my children an idol - there have been times when the Lord has shown me that "having well-behaved children" was the focus in my life.
ReplyDeleteThank you!
I'm visiting from the Growing Home link-up! :)
Amen
ReplyDeleteVery good a car can be a idol too
ReplyDeleteSorry about the issue on Facebook. Wish I could help but I deleted my FB account last year because they were blocking so many things and calling it false info. I also quit watching tv. I feel much calmer and peaceful.
ReplyDeleteThank you for this devotional. I think I have been neglecting a few things that are important.
Thanks, Betty.
DeleteI totally understand your decision to leave FB. I've considered it, but Bible Love Notes still is getting God's Word out to quite a few people via FB at this point, so I'll continue using it for that purpose unless/until they kick Christians off. We are definitely facing more censorship.
But I can understand how being off of it and TV would be calming to your spirit.
God bless you,
Gail