When was the last time
you thought about idols or idolatry? Frankly it’s not something I think about
often. Idols and idolatry are relics from another time, place or culture, or are they?
Our trip to Japan this past May brought idols back into focus. They are visible in homes, at national shrines and street corners.
The Old Testament prophets would frequently rail against the idolatry of the people of Israel. Though God was faithful, His people were not faithful. They were guilty of worshiping
idols of silver and gold. It’s quite easy to make a link with our modern
pursuit of prosperity. Has that become our god? Perhaps we need a biblical
reminder. The Ten Commandments begin with this injunction: “You shall have no other gods before
me” (Exodus 20:3).
What do we worship? What
occupies first place in our lives? Where do our thoughts naturally turn? Do
they turn to the LORD, or our favorite sports team—to Jesus or today’s hottest celebrity? Jesus
commanded us to seek first his
kingdom and his righteousness (Matthew
6:33). Is that your first pursuit? Are we faithful to him?
Actually, I think we are skirting the real issue.
The real idol—the preeminent idol in today’s western world—is the idol of self. All too
often I put myself, my comfort and well-being ahead of everything else, and
that includes Jesus and his kingdom. What I want comes first. What God wants
will just have to jockey for attention along with all the other demands upon my
life. If I’m brutally honest, most often, that’s how I run my life. How about
you?
Do we have a problem with idolatry? Absolutely!
And we are too deceived to recognize it. The god we bow down to is the god of
self and our self-will, rather than our Creator and Redeemer.
Response:
http://www.davidkitz.ca/
