… you must worship the LORD your God; then he will rescue you from the power of all your enemies.” 40But they paid no attention … 41These nations were worshiping the LORD and at the same time serving their idols; their sons and grandsons are doing just as their fathers have done, to this very day.
2 Kings 17:39-41 (NET 2nd Ed.)
Sometimes, it can be hard to recognize our idols, but our emotional responses can reveal where they are hiding in our hearts. God created us to love and worship Him. If we are keen to see them, our emotional responses can expose them. When our Creator isn’t the focus of our lives and the source of our purpose on earth, we incline ourselves toward desires without valid reward. The God-shaped vacuum in our hearts remains empty as we distract ourselves with love for the material, sensual experiences, vain pursuits, and approval from others. It’s crucial that we engage in self-reflection to recognize these distractions and take responsibility for our focus on God.
Consider this: an idol is not just an inanimate object that a person bows down and venerates. Who or what do you bow down to other than God? What emotion takes control of you? Is it fear or anxiety? Are your choices based on your feelings rather than the truth of God’s word? Take a moment to evaluate yourself. Are you truly in the faith, trusting the Lord in all areas of your life? An idol consumes your thinking and energy. It’s so central to your life that if you didn’t have it, you would experience challenging grief.
Idolatrous thinking cleverly hides behind many of the choices that Christians make. God’s people are notorious for serving both God and idols. If you doubt it, just read the history of Israel. Apostle John adamantly warned the disciples of the early church to keep themselves from idols. Jesus said you cannot serve both God and Mammon, yet many people today delude themselves into thinking they are not serving material things when, in fact, they are.
Exposing our idols takes effort and desire on our part. Wherever you habitually struggle to serve the Lord is a place you should start. When you are willingly to sacrifice your time, money, or character may also be a place of idolatry. The Holy Spirit will reveal the truth for us if we are willing to see it and then repent of it. The thing about idols is that they end up destroying you one way or another. Another tragedy is that the same idols in your life will eventually rule your dear children.
