What's Your Idol?

 

"What's Your Idol"
Mixed Media: Digital/AI

A Christian thought to ponder…

Do you have idols in your life? Do you obsess over things? Do you have something in your life that occupies your heart and mind constantly? What’s your idol?

Idols and Obsessions of the Heart

What is an idol? An idol is something that you worship daily. Idols in the Bible were false gods made of silver, gold, wood, stone, or other materials; they were inanimate objects made by human hands (Psalm 115:4–8). People would trust, elevate, and worship these objects, made with their own hands, above God, the Creator of all things. And just as Lucifer did, you can also elevate yourself to be like God. As written in Isaiah 14, it testifies to the prideful fall of Lucifer and how he was cast down.

Isaiah 14:13-14 (ESV)

You said in your heart,  ‘I will ascend to heaven; above the stars of God, I will set my throne on high; I will sit on the mount of assembly in the far reaches of the north; I will ascend above the heights of the clouds;  I will make myself like the Most High.’

An obsession is considered an idol if it has led to an unhealthy fixation on something that leads to neglecting other areas in your life and has been elevated above God. It is something that constantly plagues your mind, consumes your time, and you rely on it for comfort. For example, constantly playing video games, being constantly on your cell phone, constantly browsing social media or watching television; an unhealthy fixation over your past regrets, food, money, power, work, hobbies, gambling, drugs, or alcohol; and as seen in the world today people can be obsessed over people, celebrities, pop stars, or political leaders. If  you have become so dependent, addicted, and intoxicated over something that it is the only thing that you think about or want in your life, and it has become the star in your life, instead of God, it has become an idol.

God Warns Us

The word "idols" occurs 101 times in the King James Bible. There are warnings throughout Scripture about worshipping idols. In Deuteronomy 8:19, God warns the Israelites not to worship other gods and serve them, or they will perish.

Deuteronomy 8:19 (ESV)

And if you forget the LORD your God and go after other gods and serve them and worship them, I solemnly warn you today that you shall surely perish.

Time and time again, the Israelites were warned not to worship idols and other gods. The punishments they received from God is an example for us as to what can happen to you if you do not heed God’s warnings (1 Corinthians 10:11). Idols are an abomination to the Lord (Deuteronomy 27:15). God warns us to flee from idolatry (1 Corinthians 10:14). In Jonah 2 we are told that if you hold devotion and attention to vain idols, you forsake your hope of steadfast love (Jonah 2:8 ). Idol worshipping will only bring you misery.

Can Idols Make You Truly Happy

Do you think your idol can save you or make you genuinely happy? Worshipping idols can lead to physical ruin – brokenness, pain, suffering, death, and judgment. Idols will not set you free, nor will they save you. But what they will do is drop you to your knees and entrap you into a life that is chained to lies, deceit, and manipulation. They masterfully convince you that you cannot live your life without them and give you false hope. They persuade you into thinking that they will give you everything you need and your heart’s desire. They deceive  your heart and mind, convincing you that without them in your life, your life will be empty, broken, unfulfilled, and hopeless.

So, are you placing your hope in human hands, worldly things, or in Jesus Christ? Are there idols in your life that rule your heart? Ask the Lord to help set you free from these idols that rule your heart, mind, and soul, and as we are instructed in 1 John 5, keep yourselves from idols.

 1 John 5:21 (ESV)

Little children, keep yourselves from idols

Heavenly Father,

We come before you to confess we have allowed things to rule our hearts, minds, and souls, and have elevated these things above you. Please give us the strength to turn away and flee from these idols that rule our hearts and to live a life that is devoted to you alone. Your greatest commandment that you have given us is to “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind,” help us to be obedient to this command and seek you for our comfort and hope and not to rely on the things of this world.

Amen.

Have a Blessed Weekend!

Carol Moore

Jesus Sets Us Free

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Mixed media Digital painting/Adobe AI

A Christian thought to ponder…

Are you tired of fighting, running, hiding, or feeling despair, helplessness, and loneliness? You cannot smile. You feel no joy. Fear grips your heart. You are weary, full of regrets, and broken into a million shards of glass.

What if I told you that you could be free from all that is broken in your life? Free from all that weighs your heart and soul and mind down – regrets, pain, despair, hopelessness, weariness, loneliness, fears, and a darkness that swallows you up from within. You no longer have to fight the battle that rages inside of your heart, mind, and soul. You no longer have to feel chained to your past sins. You no longer have to feel broken, fractured, or shattered. How can you be free from all these burdens that plague your life? By letting Jesus Christ into your life.

Jesus is the only One who can fix what is broken and collapsed inside of you. He is the only One that can bring true happiness into your life and set you free from the chains that have control over your life. You can try escaping life’s problems by worldly means, but the world cannot fix what is broken inside of you. The world can never bring you true happiness.

You can only be truly free from all that has broken inside of you and all that has chained you down by believing in Jesus Christ. Run to Jesus instead of running away from your past sins. Surrender all to Jesus, and he will ablate the darkness that strangles and suffocates you. He will abolish the pain that has seeped into your heart. He will mend that which is broken inside of you and set you free. In the Gospel of John, in Chapter 8, verse 36, it tells us that Jesus, the Son, sets us free. 

"So, if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed."

John 8:36 – ESV

Therefore, take the  Lord Jesus Christ’s hand, and he will set you free. He will lead you to the mountaintop and across the stormy seas. He will help you rise and shine each new day. He will help you climb any mountain that you face in life by giving you the strength and courage that you need to move onward.

You need only to let the Lord Jesus Christ into your heart and life, and you will be filled with an unexplainable peace and joy. As it says in the gospel of John, Chapter 8, verses 31-23, by knowing the truth in Him, you will feel complete, and the truth will set you free. 

“If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” 

John 8:31-32

Heavenly Father,

Thank you for Your word and the truth that sets us free. Help set us free from our past, our burdens, and our heartaches. Help us to overcome the battles that we may face in life. Help us to become separate from the world and not depend on it to escape the battle that we may face in life. Help us to recognize that we can’t fight these battles on our own and that we need You by our side.

In Jesus’ name,

Amen.

Have a blessed week!

Carol Moore