Idols Torn Down. Now What?

There has been something on my mind lately. Idols. No, not the actual images that are formed of wood, stone or precious metals. The idols we set up in our lives each and every day.

Websters 1828 defines an idol as “any thing on which we set our affections; that to which we indulge an excessive and sinful attachment.”

I’ve often considered an idol anything that we put before our relationship with the Lord. When you contemplate that, you should realize that we are all at risk of setting up idols in our life and that identifying what those idols are is very personal.

We are in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic. One thing after another is being canceled. Or is it that one idol after another is being torn down?

Sports. Entertainment. Concerts. Festivals. Car races. Shopping. Careers.

Emphasis on health and beauty. No gym memberships. No salons open for hair and nails.

Schools. School activities. School sports. Traveling teams.

I really think the list could go on and on with what potential idols have been ripped from our lives right now.

Just last night, my Pastor (via Livestream) was continuing a series in Hosea, which of course, gave Israel a physical example of its spiritual idolatry. His message was taken from chapter two where the children of Israel shamefully pursued after other gods and forgot the Lord.

When we are straying from the Lord and turning toward false gods (idols), we forget all that He has done for us (vs. 8). We take our blessings, our talents, and our gifts (forgetting they were given to us by Him) and give them over to our false gods, the idols we set up in our lives.

This is most often seen in the pursuit of money, fame, or power. I would argue, though, that it can be seen even in small ways in our everyday lives.

Thankfully, God will put obstacles in our way. He will hinder us (vs. 6). He is trying to get our attention. He wants us to reflect on our relationship with Him and turn back!

So…has your idol been torn down? Your family’s idol? Your children’s idol?

What are you doing about it? Are you taking time to reflect and determine the place it has in your life? Are you considering that perhaps when these restrictions are lifted, you shouldn’t be going back to “normal”?

Maybe it’s time for a new normal.