Widening our Perception of Idolatry

August 3, 2011

 Too often, idolatry is the pursuit of something that is otherwise good.  That’s what makes idolatry so tricky…  Idolatry is enslavement to something we love.  We love our spouse, our kids, our job, our health, our hobbies, …  all of which is perfectly fine (Resisting Idols by Mark Driscoll).  I like the way this man widened my perception of idolatry.  Very few of us have golden calves, totem poles, or statues in our homes and church buildings, but we have idols.

 Let’s say a person defines Hell as being poor.  His/her idol might be work, money, or budgeting.  Work and money become this person’s functional savior, saving them from their Hell.  Let’s say another person defines Hell as being unattractive.  Their idol might be make up, clothing, exercise and/or diet.  When fear of our “hells” cause us to choose saviors other than God, we become idolaters.  And the thing we chose is our idol.

 Consider King Saul.  What was his idol?  Saul had many shortcomings but graven images, groves, and Baal were not among them.  But Saul had an idol.  What was it?  To answer this question we must address Saul’s greatest fear?   Saul feared losing prominence.  Maintaining prestige was behind many of Saul’s irrational behaviors (1Sa 15:28-30, 18:7-11, 19:8-10, 20:30-33, 22:13-16)?  Status was Saul’s functional savior; it was his idol.

 What advice might help such a man?  I suspect Saul would have been a whole lot better off if he could have ever grabbed hold of the concept:  I am not important, except for who I am in the Lord.  Saul would have cast down his idol the moment he realized that his status in the Lord was the only status that mattered.  And thus it is with us.  May Jesus become our functional savior, in all areas of our lives.

Article Written by Elder Dolph Painter, Moriah Primitive Baptist Church

pastordolph@aol.com

This site created by Steve McCannon. This page last updated 08/07/2011