God started speaking to me about IDOLATRY while I was in Tanzania in February. As I studied and prayed, and eventually preached a sermon and led small group discussions on the topic, I realized that idolatry is about so much more than bowing down to a golden calf (as the Israelites did in the book of Exodus).
During the month of March, I was in India, where people make 
sacrifices and perform rituals to statues of wood and stone. I also read Death of a Guru by Rabi Maharaj (I strongly recommend this book if you are at all interested in transcendental philosophy or even if you practice yoga), which shocked me back to the reality of just how strongly spiritual forces are at work in this world, deceiving and distracting people.
Oh yeah, I also want to remind you of the first two of the Ten Commandments:
Money. Beauty. Success. Reputation. …
We will become like that which we worship (Psalm 135:15-18).
For the Egyptians, Greeks, and Romans who personified and deified qualities like love, wisdom, war, and even the weather, that meant that they received the illusion of POWER.
God’s goal for His people is that we be conformed to the likeness of Christ (Romans 8:29) – Christ, who is the embodiment of SUBMISSION.
God’s way is totally contrary to the ways of the world. Sometimes it doesn’t make any sense at all! God’s way is self-less, and it requires faith and a changed life. Thankfully, we have the Bible and the Holy Spirit to guide us into holy living.
