What’s your idol?

“Whoops! That was close!” Moses was trying to be careful as he made his way down

the mountain, but his foot kept slipping under the loose pebbles. He had almost fallen for the

third time. He kept on going, slowly, and a while later he reached the end of his perilous

descent. He couldn’t wait to get back and show his people the stone tablets that God had given

to them. But what was that? Music? He looked down at the Israelite camp, and beheld a

nightmare. The people were worshipping some golden calf! Moses wasn’t excited anymore.

He wasn’t even happy. He was angry. He screamed, threw the tablets which then broke into

pieces, and then crushed that golden idol to smithereens.

Though there has always been idolatry in the world, it is worse today. In America, our

idols definitely do not resemble golden calves, but instead can come in the forms of Apple and

Samsung, Sephora, American Eagle and Tilly’s, Instagram and Facebook, YouTube, Taylor

Swift, Chik-Fil-A, Netflix, Amazon, Trump, Costco, and, hey, don’t forget about those mirrors

in your very own house. Of course, some of these things aren’t necessarily bad, but they can

become idols.

There is another form of idolatry too. We don’t even notice till someone points it out.

We love to put our identity in other people. If we know somebody that is popular or respected

in the community, we tell everyone. This was the case with Jesus’ own brothers. They tried to

get him to perform miracles at the Feast of Tabernacles, so that people would know that he

was their brother, and praise them. John 7:1-9 talks about this. His brothers said,

“Depart

from here and go into Judea, that your disciples also may see the works that you are doing.

For no one does anything in secret while he himself seeks to be known openly. If you do these

things, show yourself to the world.

” They wanted to be able to say,

“Look! Here’s Jesus! He’s

our brother!” John goes on to write,

“For even his brothers did not believe in him.

” Then Jesus

calls them out. Verses 6-7 continue,

“Then Jesus said to them,

‘My time has not yet come, but

your time is always ready. The world cannot hate you, but it hates me because I testify of it

that its works are evil.

’” Boom.

There are a million and one things that we idolize. Here’s an easy way to tell if you are

idolizing something (or maybe even someone). Does it constantly occupy your thoughts? Do

you go to it for comfort? The only thing we should be going to for comfort is God. Praying

always helps! God wants us to only worship him, but our idols often get in the way. An easy solution to do is what Moses did- smash that sucker into smithereens.