“Son of man, these men have set up idols in their hearts and put wicked stumbling blocks before their faces. Should I let them inquire of me at all? Therefore speak to them and tell them, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: When any of the Israelites set up idols in their hearts and put a wicked stumbling block before their faces and then go to a prophet, I the Lord will answer them myself in keeping with their great idolatry.”
??Ezekiel? ?14:3-4?
Scripture tells us what it looks like to take up false idols against the Lord. It shows us the common mistakes the Israelites and the people of Jerusalem made in burnt offerings and sacrifice that they assumed were honoring to the Lord. He tells them time and time again that he is the only God and they will not find joy or reap a bountiful harvest until they denounce their false gods.
Modern day this can look deceiving and idolatry can come in many forms. As I have learned from others, read the word, and listened to the Lord I have gotten a greater understanding of what the reality of idolatry being an issue really is. You can idolize anything from marriage to a career or things like St. Anthony and so on. It is an easy sin to fall into sometimes with how our modern world glamorizes status and wealth over truth and values.
I was raised Catholic from birth and grew up in a household that went to mass every Sunday together, regularly prayed before our meals, and attended a catholic grade school. While I am thankful for the theological knowledge I gained from that part of my life, I also experienced a lot of hurt in that community of people. One thing recently deeply troubled me as I was reflecting on my previous years at that school. One day we lost a stapler and I vividly remember my teacher asking us to all pray to Saint Anthony to help us find it, and then all of us actually praying to him almost like a game. This by definition is idolatry, and it sat on my mind heavily for the last week.
Is this really wrong?
Am I sure this is against scripture?
Is praying to saints like Christopher, or Anthony, or mother Mary okay in God’s eyes?
The Bible says “Even while these people were worshiping the Lord, they were serving their idols. To this day their children and grandchildren continue to do as their ancestors did.”
??2 Kings? ?17:41. Even while serving the one true God we can also, contradict the scripture so heavily. The first commandment the lord gives us is “i am the Lord your God, you shall have no other gods before me.” From this alone we can answer the above questions that that “game” of praying to Saint Anthony in the classroom was directly against the truth that the Lord tells us.
I know the truth that is the word of God and I want to chose to honor that whether inside a church or not. I am also sure that I will not ever again in my life wear a “St. Christopher pray for us ” pendant or ask St. Anthony to bring something back to me, I will ask God for my needs and answers and want to encourage others to walk that out too, not only in experiences that I have had in the past but in other areas of our lives where we as Christians look at stuff above and before God. Marriage, level of fitness, money, status, material item ownership can all lead us from the truth but having a solid foundation of knowledge and prayer can help us not fall into that sin against our father.
“neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
??Romans? ?8:39?
