When you think of idols, what do you think of? Do you think of the television program “American Idol”? Do you think of a childhood idol? Do you have other idols? Are there things that you make idols by how you treat them or because they remind you of something?
We like to believe we do not have idols. Yet, we often idolize specific things we have or certain people we know. We don’t think we have idols because we think of idols made of wood or iron or bronze. We think of idols that people bow down to, but there are other idols.
God tells the Israelites and us that we are not to make idols. Notice that God says the idols should not be made in the form of anything in heaven, on the earth, or under the sea. Do we idolize the form of a fish that is to represent Jesus? Do we idolize a cross that represents the cross Jesus died on? Some either believe they are to worship the cross or come very close to it. Yet, we are not to worship anything or anyone other than God.
Sometimes, we worship other people. We worship athletes who accomplish great things. We worship singers who sing amazing songs. We worship authors who write thought provoking and interesting books. Yet, God tells us there is to be no other God nor anyone else we worship except him. He is the only one who is worthy of our praise.
I pray we all cast aside our idols. I pray we decide to stop worshiping other things and people. I pray each one of us will worship God only and give him all our praise. Cast aside your idols. Do not worship other people. Do not worship things. Worship God only. Give God all your praise.
Exodus 20:4 “You shall not make for yourself an idol, whether in the form of anything that is in heaven above or that is on the earth beneath or that is in the water under the earth.”
