“Praise the Lord! Praise the name of the Lord, give praise, O servants of the Lord, who stand in the house of the Lord, in the courts of the house of our God! For I know that the Lord is great, and that our Lord is above all gods. The idols of the nations are silver and gold, the work of human hands. They have mouths, but do not speak; they have eyes, but do not see; they have ears, but do not hear, nor is there any breath in their mouths. Those who make them become like them, so do all who trust in them.” (v1-2,5,15-18)
How many times have I pursued things (or worshiped things) that cannot speak, see, hear, or breathe? Our pagan (non-Christian) culture, unfortunately, promotes this behavior. The things our culture worships may not look like a golden idol from Indiana Jones, however, that doesn’t mean the culture’s motivators aren’t idols.
It’s so easy to fall into these pagan traps – self-worth defined by pursuit of: materialism, consumerism, achievements, career, status, etc. Any definition of oneself, or passion that is not built around the one true God is some form of paganism.
I too fall into this trap and have sought to purchase the newest shiny object available even though I didn’t need it, or I have invested huge amounts of time, energy and money into the wrong things. When this happens, I can’t help but feel depressed from a huge sense of wasted investment and lack of fulfillment.
Now I’m by no means suggesting we can never relax, participate in a recreational activity, or buy something extravagant (like a new set of 20V MAX XR 5.0Ah Lithium Ion batteries :D). What I’m saying is those things cannot become our primary motivator and investment, they need to be submitted under God. He gets our first fruits, and our obedience. After that, we can watch a sporting event or play a game, because we have given God the respect and glory He deserves, allowing us to rest in His presence.
Father God, the one true God, who lives both now and forever, holy is Your name. Father You gave life to each of us – physical, spiritual, and eternal. Please guard our hearts against idolatry, and open our eyes to things that have taken our eyes off of You. May You be our first love, both now and forever. “Your name, O Lord, endures forever, your renown, O Lord, throughout all ages. For the Lord will vindicate his people and have compassion on his servants.” (v13-14) Amen.
~ Conqueror in Training