Idols Or God: We All Worship Something
‘Their idols are silver and gold, the work of human hands. They have mouths, but do not speak.’
— Psalm 115:4-5
Tuesday, March 14, 2023
The paradox of an idol, unlike Jesus, is that the worshiper gives it power. We are the ones who give it life. Alcohol, Social Media, Work, Music, Entertainment, Sex, Technology… can only be a god if we make it one. Money can only be a god if we worship it.
But Jesus is King and Lord regardless of what we do.
He’s the only one worth giving your life to.
Some of us instead still settle for idols, even though we don’t realize it. We laugh at the imagery of the Old Testament as if we are more enlightened and would never do anything so foolish. Yet nothing has changed, except for the clothes the idols wear.
When’s the last time that more money really satisfied? When was the last time it forgave you? Gave you joy? Fully loved you? It can’t. We crafted it with our own hands.
What a lot of people don’t realize is that an idol can be anything. It can be good things like relationships or work. The problem is, even good things can become “god” things. Young people are especially tempted to orbit their lives around significant others. Suddenly a switch flips in the heart, and we begin to get our satisfaction, worth, and identity from that person.
God is against idols because when the pieces of life are in their proper places, we can enjoy Him and those things best.
When we make another person an idol, we end up squeezing the life out of them. Only one person has the ability to sustain being God, and that’s Jesus.
When we worship Jesus, we can love that person even more because our center isn’t tied to or defined by them. If they upset us, rather than affecting us negatively every time, we can give back love, grace, and forgiveness because our self-worth comes from God.
One of the biggest traits of an idol is that we are blinded to it. It seems normal to us.
That’s the allure and power of an idol — we usually don’t know we have one unless it gets attacked or taken away. The easiest way to find an idol is to poke it. If it’s an idol, it’ll show its teeth. It’ll bark back. They always do.
Charles Spurgeon said it best: “The Gospel is like a caged lion. It does not need to be defended, it just needs to be let out of its cage.” The mystery of Jesus is just like the mystery in Revelation 5.
He’s called the Lion of Judah, but when John looks, he sees a lamb slaughtered. Jesus is a powerful, victorious lion who achieved that victory by the act of the lamb who was slain.
May we be people who, similar to the creatures around the throne in Revelation, worship the Lamb and sing His praise:
To Him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb / be blessing and honor and glory and might forever and ever! — Revelation 5:13
LET US PRAY:
Dear Heavenly Father, I acknowledge Jesus Christ as my king and Master today. I give Him all adoration, all worship, all glory, and all praise. You alone deserve it. Let every other things fade away till there is only you.
Dear Lord Jesus take the throne in my heart and life today and forevermore. Amen.
(Kindly share with someone today)
