Idols Idols Everywhere

Last week Wednesday our church's young adults group got together for a night of singing and teaching. I was given the task of preparing a message so I went to the topic of Idolatry.  Here are some of "highlights" of it:

Simply put idolatry is any time we put something in ahead of God in importance in our life. The question is, what is it that you are putting ahead of God in your life? Maybe it’s money. Education, a relationship, family, health, your physical appearance, stuff. What is it in your life that is so essential that you could not imagine life without it?

Here are 5 things I currently hold as idols in my life: Nadine, health, parents, money, and  comfort. Some of you may be thinking, what’s wrong with those things? And you’d be right  in asking that. The answer is nothing. There is nothing wrong with any of those things. It’s good that I love Nadine. It’s good to want to be healthy. God has blessed me with great parents.  There’s nothing wrong with any of those things. But as you’ll find out, so often the biggest idols aren’t the evil ones.

Most of us know that it’s wrong to bow down to idols of stone  and wood, most of us have no problem sacrificing to acceptance, X-box, cell phones, sports,  friends, food, etc. Now in and of themselves there is nothing wrong with any of these things. But  when they start to take on such weight in our lives that they become vital for our joy it becomes  a problem. You see most of the idols that we have are when good things become God things.

Exodus 20v3-5. God is an incredibly jealous God. He doesn’t want to, nor does He deserve to share. He isn’t content unless He is the ONLY one. God gave us marriage so that we could have an idea of the relationship that He wants with us. Imagine that you were married and one day your spouse told you that you would only get Monday-Thursday, and Friday. Tuesday, Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday there were other  people that got those days. That wouldn’t go so well. We would feel cheated. Robbed. We  gave up so much for them and they just turn their backs on us for these other things? Sound familiar?

Too often we sacrifice our time, money, or attention to our idols. 

What are some idols you see North Americans worshiping?

What are some idols that YOU find yourself worshiping?