GIVE ME YOUR IDOLS

Give Me Your Idols

Psalm 78:58 (NIV) They angered him with their high places;
    they aroused his jealousy with their idols.
 
In 2002, when the show, American Idol, aired for the first time, I remember cringing at the title. Growing up in a house with a Church-going, God-fearing, Song-Leading, Sunday-School teaching mother and grandmother, I was well aware of the commandment that said you should “have no other gods before me.” My mom and grandmom preached about not worshipping idols my whole life. When my grandmother heard about the show, she was livid. How dare they have a show about “Idols”? She fussed and complained about it for weeks.

Idols are not new. Only 40 days after God gave Moses the commandment, “Thou shalt have no other gods before me” (Exodus 20:3) the children of Israel, gave Aaron their gold and so that he could make them a golden calf to worship. See here’s the problem, many of us, wouldn’t dare worship a golden calf or a statue of another god like the children of Israel. We wouldn’t dare! That’s almost a no-brainer. However, we fail to realize that idol worship is really anything that takes our time, our attention, our money or our effort and distracts us from worshipping the one true God.

How can you tell what your idols are? Matthew 6:21 says for where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. Take a look at your bank account. Where does most of your money go besides bills? Is it shopping? I’ve been guilty! Is it new cars, clothes, technology, movies, entertainment? What do you spend most of your time doing? If we tithed our time, would you have 2.4 hours a day dedicated to God? Probably not, honestly me neither. But many of us spend a huge amount of time on the phone, watching TV, on social media, working, or going out.

Have you noticed in the last few months, many of the things that we “idolize” have been taken away? No Monday night football games, no basketball tournaments, March Madness was a no-go this year. Shopping sprees can only take place online now and even Amazon has delayed the benefits of being a “prime” member with “slow shipping”. Some ran to parties or the casino every weekend. Others rushed to get hair and nails done weekly. Many traveled every chance they got. But now, we are forced to stay home. “It’s safer at home.” We don’t have anywhere to drive our cars; we don’t have the distractions of Friday night parties, Saturday morning shopping or sports on Sundays. We can’t travel any farther than our mailboxes unless we are essential workers or unless we have essential needs. My… My… My… how life has changed.

The world is much quieter now. It’s downright silent. Habakkuk 2:20 says “…But the Lord is in his holy temple: let all the earth keep silent before him.” Have you noticed that the world – not just the U.S., not just Canada or North America, but the whole world is silent? Our idols have been taken away.

Don’t get me wrong and don’t discount God; He is a GIVER. He GAVE his only son so that you and I may have eternal life (John 3:16). Psalm 37:4 says “delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart.” Matthew 6:33 says “but seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” God delights in giving to His children. Matthew 7:11 says God gives good gifts. He gave the best gift – His son’s life for your salvation. He came that you may have life and life more abundantly (John 10:10). But we have to be careful that we don’t fall in love with the gifts more than the giver.

Today God is saying to you, “Give me your idols – your money, your clothes, your homes, your cars, your movies, your food, your job – everything that you’ve placed above me.” I dare you to give God anything that you’ve idolized and worshipped; anything that you’ve loved, adored or treasured above Him and Repent. God is waiting with unfailing love and open arms. Give up your idols and turn back to God. Live in the Red ~ Loved and Forgiven.

#Loved
#Forgiven
#GivingUpMyIdols

---