Idols: Revisited
I originally posted this about two years ago, and it’s still valid by itself, but this has just been resonating in my head for DAYS now:
Here’s the original post:
It’s ironic that season 10 of American Idol started last night. It is one of my favorite shows, but I realize that so much of the contestants’ participation in the contest is based on their own desires and temptations.
They want to become an idol by worshiping one.
What are their idols? Money? Fame? Acceptance? Recognition? We don’t really know. Only God knows their hearts.
But, my thoughts throughout much of the last couple of days has revolved around the question, what idol am I seeking to worship by giving in, or even considering, my human temptations and desires?
No Other Gods Before Me
Throughout the Bible, idols were created to represent or take the place of God, and no matter the instance there was always one response:
“Be careful not to forget the covenant of the Lord your God that he made with you; do not make for yourselves an idol in the form of anything the Lord your God has forbidden.”
~ Deuteronomy 4:23~Then it goes on to say why:
“For the Lord your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God.”
~Deuteronomy 4:24~God wants nothing else to take the place of Him in our lives. He is jealous of all other idols that we choose to worship and will not bless any action if taken to satisfy the desires of our own hearts. If we audition to become the next American Idol, it should be because God has directed us to that opportunity, and it should be for the purpose of being obedient to his direction and making him famous. Nothing else.
So it is with every other desire that we have in our life. The desire for acceptance. The desire for prosperity. The desire for a thrill. They take the place of God, and they begin to mold how we make decisions, how we respond to temptation, how we interact with the people we come in contact with.
Idol Worship
So, you see, by focusing our decisions, our plans, and our lives around the wants and desires of our human hearts, we are worshiping those idols. We are not living lives of worship of God by basing every decision on what gets us the best result, the biggest thrill, or what satisfies the temptation towards sin in our hearts.
One Final Thought
Psalm 37:4 states:
Take delight in the Lord,
and he will give you the desires of your heart.I have heard this interpreted two ways. First, God satisfies the desires that we have if we simply seek him first in all things. Second, if we are seeking him only, then he will show us the true desires of our hearts. In fact, he will place those desires in us so that his purpose can be fulfilled through us.
But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.
~Matthew 6:33~So, today, I ask you: What idol are you worshiping by giving in to the temptations and desires of your heart?
Bond-Servant of Christ
So many of you may wonder from time to time why I have an earring. Well, let me give you some background that may help explain it.
First, let’s take a look at God’s giving of the Law in Exodus 21:
“But the slave may declare, ‘I love my master, my wife, and my children. I don’t want to go free.’ If he does this, his master must present him before God. Then his master must take him to the door or doorpost and publicly pierce his ear with an awl. After that, the slave will serve his master for life.” (Exodus 21:5 NLT)
This is a slave who is choosing to remain in that position by choice, a choice made out of love and commitment instead of bondage.
Many New Testament writers, such as Paul and James, use this this terminology to introduce themselves:
“Paul, a bond-servant of Christ Jesus, called as an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God.” (Romans 1:1 NASB)
“James, a bond-servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ…” (James 1:1 NASB)
So, what are they saying? They are identifying themselves as slaves to the Gospel and to the example of Christ, not out of bondage, but out of choice and devotion.
So, why the earring? Nothing says that Paul or James pierced their ear for this reason, but, for me, it is an outward symbol (albeit from the Old Testament) to identify myself as a bond-servant of Christ Jesus.
“Now you are free from your slavery to sin, and you have become slaves to righteous living.” (Romans 6:18 NLT)
Are You A Hater?
I haven’t written in a while because, honestly, I haven’t felt like I had anything to write about. However, I decided to throw this out there today because this video, and one quote in particular from it, struck me. Take a look:
So which part of his story got you the most? For me it was the question, “how much do you have to hate someone to NOT
proselytize?”
I don’t believe in bible-thumping, turn-or-burn, proselytizing. However, I do believe that our story and our faith should be shared because of its importance and the implications that it carries. Do you agree that we’re “hating” the people we don’t share our faith with? In what other ways could we be sharing our faith without walking up and handing the person a bible?
I think the key to the story in the video was the genuine and authentic attitude with which the man approached Penn.
How have you reached out recently? How? Were you “successful?” What was the experience like?
Carlos Whittaker (@loswhit) recently wrote about an experience with reaching out. I believe that what he did was definitely a form of proselytizing.
I want to know what you have to say…
My Lonely Place 