Idol (Idolatry): An image or representation of a god used as an object of worship.
In other words, anything that is lifted up in our lives above God. Anything we turn to instead of him for our needs, wants and desires. This could be an array of things not necessarily worshipping gods like buddha or mother Earth. God is after our heart posture, anything that takes precedence in our lives other than the father is an idol weather we know it or not.
Some idols can be pride, envy, relationships, your children, money, marriage, anger, worry, your job, greed etc. Many people don’t realize that these things can become idols and exalt themselves above God in our hearts. When we are consumed by the issues of life and don’t run to the father to assist us, those things become idols. For example, if you are always worried about money and how to make money and you are never satisfied with what you have and constantly are chasing the bag. Money my friend has become your idol. It is no longer God that is your source and provider but what you can achieve in your own strength.
Exodus 20:3–6
“You shall have no other gods before me. You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. You shall not bow down to them or serve them, for I the LORD your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and the fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing steadfast love to thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments”.
Psalm 115:4–8
Their idols are silver and gold, the work of human hands. They have mouths, but do not speak; eyes, but do not see. They have ears, but do not hear;
noses, but do not smell. They have hands, but do not feel; feet, but do not walk; and they do not make a sound in their throat. Those who make them become like them; so do all who trust in them.
Imaging putting your trust and comfort in physical objects, people and status to give you strength, the feeling of stability and security. Nothing of this world can give you the peace you need. Only the father gives peace.
God is a jealous God and he wants us all to himself. He wants us to focus on the glories of heaven and how to bring heaven to earth and set the captives free. But when we allow worry, stress and anxiety in, we can’t do what God has for us. It delays us, we don’t focus on God, in fact we end up neglecting him all together. Why? We think we have it all figured out and we forget that we need God every moment of every hour. We can’t do anything without the father. But even our self image and our intellect can become an idol, what we believe is ultimately right without consulting the father.
When we have strong desires, for example marriage. We ask God how when and where. Sometimes in the waiting we get weary with the stress of it all. We consume ourselves with the ideas of marriage, sex and family and forget that God make all things beautiful in his time and in his design Ecclesiastes 3:11. We forget that his plans are to prosper us and not to harm us, to give us a hope and a future. So, what do we do? we date we try to find the one. We look for flags. We rush the process in hopes that God will bless a marriage he never ordained in the first place, and this is just one of many real-life examples. Then we struggle and ask God why is my marriage failing, why is my relationship failing. It is because marriage became and idol and we didn’t wait on God. This is not to say that the one you married is not of God, but have you considered putting your marriage into the father’s hands to restore. Have you considered giving him control. When we try to hold so tight to things, we mess it up, but when God has control, the thing we hold so tight blossoms in his prescence.
Romans 1:22-25
“Claiming to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things. Therefore, God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves, because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen”.
This happens when we lack patience. A lot of the times it is our lack of wanting to wait on God that gets us in trouble. Not waiting for his response, not waiting for him to perfect us and purge us of the flesh and is works. We want everything so quick and microwaved and to have everything at once without going through the process of sanctification in the flesh; and our hearts being purified in his presence. Why the rush? To look like others who are seemingly happy or successful. To put down the nay sayers, what is our reasons for wanting everything so fast? For God says greater things does he have for those who put their trusts in him. Holy Spirit right now is pointing out to you reading this, that there is something in your life you put before him. Ask HIM to help you identify it, and surrender that thing to the father so he can restore you.
Comparison kills. Wanting to be like someone else, or better than another. Instead of being who God called you to be in him, in his image and in his likeness. You seek to look like flawed man because of status, because they have something you desire. Our goal should be the father and to look like him.
Galatians 4:8–9
Formerly, when you did not know God, you were enslaved to those that by nature are not gods. But now that you have come to know God, or rather to be known by God, how can you turn back again to the weak and worthless elementary principles of the world, whose slaves you want to be once more?
The Lord tells us do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of our minds on the things of God. Its so easy to look up and be serving an idol you didn’t even realize was there. The fast pace of our daily activities makes it hard to hear and see God clearly as we ought. Again, idols can be as simple as your Job, money, status comparison etc. Search your hearts today with the help of the Holy Spirit and ask him, is there anything I am not fully allowing you to touch, heal and to take control of?
Let us Pray:
Dear Heavenly Father, forgive me for putting ………….. before you. Help me to put my trust in you always, teach me to dwell in your presence and in your timing for my life. I open every area of my heart to you to touch. Nothing is off limits for you. Consume my being as I put my life on the altar of your sacrifice. Purge me God of anything in me that does not look like you. You are faithful to hear and answer my prayer because you love me. There is no shame in you, only correction to gain more wisdom. I think you lord that you have revealed my idol and that you have helped me surrender today, that all things I desire may be pure before you. Thank you Lord in Jesus name Amen!
