“They threw out everything God had told them, and replaced him with two statue-gods shaped like bull-calves and then a phallic pole for the whore goddess Asherah. They worshiped cosmic forces—sky gods and goddesses—and frequented the sex-and-religion shrines of Baal. They even sank so low as to offer their own sons and daughters as sacrificial burnt offerings! They indulged in all the black arts of magic and sorcery. In short, they prostituted themselves to every kind of evil available to them. And God had had enough.” – 2 Kings 17:16-17 (The Message)
The Israelites’ actions in this passage probably seem pretty freakin’ crazy to you. They sure do to me. But it’s easy to read passages like this and just disregard them as irrelevant, because they seem so far from anything I would ever do. Now there’s surely some truth in that: As much as I love Harry Potter, I don’t plan to drop Christianity and pursue witchcraft any time soon, and I certainly don’t aspire to ever sacrifice a child to Baal (or any other god, let’s be clear). Still, I’m a lot more similar to these Israelites than I’d like to admit.
Before I explain, let me pose a question to you: What do worshipping a golden calf and striving for affirmation from others have in common?
They’re both idols.
For the longest time, I heard the word “idols” and only thought of things like the golden calves and sacrifices and false gods of biblical history. Those sure are idols, but idolatry extends far beyond that. Our modern idols take countless different forms, and they all stem from the heart. See, idolatry isn’t just a matter of bodily posture – physically bowing down to statues and shrines – but, even more so, it’s a matter of heart posture.
An idol is anything that you need to feel significant or secure, valued or happy.
An idol is anything your heart needs to give your life meaning or anything you’re willing to sin for, in order to get it.
An idol is anything that fills your thoughts more than God or anything you seek to give you what only God can give you.
Quite simply, an idol is anything more important to you than God.
For some, idols may look like a love for possessions, a career, making money, or achievement. For others, idols may take the form of social standing, romantic relationships, secure and comfortable circumstances, beauty, or intelligence. For still some people, idols may be political or social causes, morality and virtue, success in Christian ministry, or even family. For me, idols have looked like peer approval, control, pride, relationships, and the list goes on! The enemy is creative…idols take on countless facades in our hearts, and they all distract us from the Lord.
Each time I pursue an idol instead of pursuing God’s heart, I’m reducing myself to something that is less than what God has created and called me to be. God gave me a reality check recently, and I realized I couldn’t keep doing that – living for God sometimes and for idols other times. That’s not life, that’s not glorifying God, and God doesn’t want that! He doesn’t want part of me, whatever I’m willing to give Him in each moment. No. He wants ALL of me. All or nothing. (1 Corinthians 10:19-22) Honestly, why would I want to get by with anything less even if I could?
There’s a powerful song by Jimmy Needham called “Clear the Stage,” and recently it’s been hitting home. All of the lyrics are incredible, but these specific words from the bridge speak volumes about the reality of idols:
We must not worship something that’s not even worth it. Clear the stage. Make some space for the One who deserves it.
Jesus deserves all the space in my heart. Putting anything before Christ prevents me from wholly identifying myself in Him and accepting His love. He loves me more than I could ever imagine; that doesn’t change. But how I accept and experience His love can change, and idols prevent me from fully experiencing and sharing His love. This month, I’m tackling the idols, I’m confronting the ugly areas of my heart, I’m clearing the stage, and I’m bringing God back to the forefront of my heart.
I want identity in Christ. I want to be overflowing with His love. And I’m going after Him.
What is holding you back from giving your whole heart to God?
