Idol Prohibition
Therefore, my dear friends, flee from idolatry. 1 Corinthians 10:14
An idol? Why, that is just a golden calf that Moses had to deal with when He lost his cool after coming down the mountain and spending time with God. Oh, if we could just keep that in a box and not have to think outside that framework! Isabella Campolattaro (Mornings with Jesus) has lots to say about our little statues.
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I used to think the Old Testament Bible prohibition against idols in the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:4) was all about actual statuary. Carved icons, totem poles, golden calves—no problem. I wasn’t bowing down to any statue hewn from human hands.
Or was I?
Turns out, idols are sometimes disguised as good things: a significant other, children, jobs, money, friends, parents, church, a particular lifestyle…and, yes, sports figures and other celebrities. Potentially less-friendly idols include items that can turn into addictions, such as food, alcohol, sex, or gambling. Bowing to them means submitting, or as Merriam-Webster bracingly puts it, “agreeing to the demands of” this or that, him or her. Ouch!
Unfortunately, I’ve had a lifetime of idols to which I freely gave precedence over seeking Jesus, bowing deeply to their demands. What I’ve learned is that idols break, tarnish, disappoint, and sometimes destroy. They fail to deliver the promised satisfaction in the long run. The persistent expectation that they were enough left me feeling bitter, depressed, disillusioned, and longing for something more substantial to make me feel whole. Meanwhile, Jesus waited patiently for me to figure out that what I was really after was Him.
The idol prohibition isn’t about Jesus’s vanity or denying me any good things. It’s about reorienting my priorities to what guarantees fulfillment over the long haul when the things I’ve made into idols fail.
FAITH STEP: What things have you made into idols? Draw them as a totem pole or make a collage. Ask Jesus to help you regain your perspective and priorities. Burn the page.
Father, only You are worthy of all of our praise! When we lean headstrong into the world and take our eyes off of You, You still patiently love us and await our return to You. Father, help us to recognize and give up the idols we have built. Teach us Your ways. AMEN.