My Idols!

The Lord's message rang out from you not only in Macedonia and Achaia—your faith in God has become known everywhere. Therefore we do not need to say anything about it, for they themselves report what kind of reception you gave us. They tell how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead—Jesus, who rescues us from the coming wrath.

1 Thessalonians 1:8-10

Do you list idolatry as one of the sins that you have struggled with in your life? When I think of someone bowing down and worshipping a statue made out of stone or metal I tempted to be very judgmental. What kind of an idiot would worship a rock or a hunk of metal? Idolatry must have been a problem for unenlightened, ignorant people in times past. But idolatry is not a temptation for modern man, or is it?

Our world is filled with crafted objects that we bow down to and put before everything else in our lives. Our idols also extend beyond objects to activities. It may by definition be accurate to include “hobbies” in our list of idols. Hobbies are those activities to which we devote much of our free time and by which we measure our personal worth. Hobbies provide us with fellowship as we congregate with other hobbyists and talk about our interests.

The television program American Idol is a blatant presentation of idolatry in America. For years our “singing stars” have been called “idols.” The relationship that fans have with the artists could easily be seen as idolatry.

The natural state of man is to worship. We are worshipful beings. We will bow down to something, even if that something is a mirror. As a follower of Jesus Christ I must daily judge my own thoughts and attitudes and only bow down to Him.

The apostle John in the book of Revelation tells about bowing down before an angel to worship. John was rebuked by the angel and told to only worship God!

“Lord, speak to me when my heart is turning to worship an idol. Lord, convict me of the sin of idolatry and lead me to rip the idols from my heart. That I may bow before you with all of my heart in worship before Your throne!”