Do You Have Idols Hiding In Your Life?

What Is An Idol?

An idol is something that you worship. Many people cannot understand what an idol is because when they hear the word idol, they think of the Old Testament where goddesses and gods carved out of wood and gold.

So What Is An Idol?

An idol is something God has created which is used as a god.

The dictionary defines it as an image or representation of a god used as an object of worship.

You start using this image to get revelation, insight, acceptance instead of going to God, the Creator of all things.

I don’t really like the word “image” because I think it changes what we see in our minds. But keep in mind an image is a representation of something.

You start to see this image as your source. Your source of income, your source of fertility, your source of safety, your source of wisdom, or your source of health.

These can be idols in your life.

You may have a full-time job. This job provides income to support yourself and your family. God is your ultimate source of income, and He is using your workplace to provide the paystub.

To see your workplace as your source of income puts your workplace in a position that is higher than God.

The same rings true with your spouse or children. These can become idols as well.

Anything can become an idol in your life.

God is the creator of all things. He has given us tools to help us in life. But we need to remember that they are tools.

Let’s talk about your cell phone…yes, I am going there!

Your cell phone is a tool you can use to communicate with others. If there becomes a point that you feel you need to have it and it takes the place of you communicating with God…we have an issue.

People can also be an idol. Needing approval from others rather than seeking God’s approval.

God has not called us to worship the things that He has created, because He knows the things He created on earth are temporal.

You are made in the image of God. Looking to anyone for approval whether it is your spouse or not, leads you to see them as your source of happiness.

They become your need for happiness, replacing God as your need for joy. People will come to an end at some point, but God is eternal. God doesn’t’ want you to have temporal happiness, but joy unspeakable and full of glory.

God created all things for Himself. Which includes, the trees, the clouds, people, the stars and the moon.

Some people look to the stars and moon for guidance. This again is idolatry because instead of going to the Source, the Creator of these things, you are going to the created things for answers.

The stars and the universe were created by God. Going to the stars for answers instead of God is saying they are your source of understanding.

Why Do We Have Idols?

We have idols because of our lack of faith. Faith is believing in something we do not see.

It still takes faith to trust the stars and the universe for answers, but the difference is, we can see the stars and the moon, but we can’t see God with our physical eyes.

A relationship with God is built by faith.

But it can be much easier to trust in something we can see.

You can see the money from your work going into your bank account. You can see the car that drives you from point A to B. You can see the stars in the sky shining brightly.

Remember that song, “Starlight, star bright, the first I see tonight.”

I remember that song as a child. I would look out my window at night before going to bed and start singing…“I wish I may, I wish I might have the wish I wish tonight.”

Then I would close my eyes tightly and make a wish before going to bed. Then I would wait expectingly.

I don’t know the origin of that song and I don’t want to get into it, but what I do know is I was looking to that bright star as my source instead of praying at night to my true Source, that created that star.

I know many of us have done that…don’t lie. There is no shame in it once you confess it and repent.

God is invisible and so is His kingdom, so in our own understanding, it is easier to trust the things we see.

But to get into the Kingdom Of God is by faith.

I believe that’s why God doesn’t look for only the educated to follow Him. That would disqualify many of us from receiving His free gift of salvation. Everyone has been given faith, but we don’t all have the same education, so we ALL have a chance to receive from Him.

Idolatry is something that affects our walk with God and can be a big topic to cover.

In my next post, we will look into how we create idols and how to identify an idol in your life. Stay tuned.

Until next time…

Take care and God bless.

Photo by Martin Péchy

Track: Into The Light
Music by Oak Studios
@oakstudiosok
@oakstudiosok
Creative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported — CC BY 3.0