In a book called: “We become what we Worship,” G.K. Beale states that what we revere we resemble, either for ruin or restoration. That any form of addiction we have or whatever “idol” we have, is a worship issue! We will always become like and reflect whatever “idol” we have in our lives. And if we are committed to anything but the LORD we will become as empty and vain as the idols we worship.
These things we worship direct our lives and have control over us. Many unbelievers accuse us Jesus followers as being “slaves.” I myself accused Christians as being slaves, and that I could live life free to do as I wish, I wouldn’t be a slave to anyone!
But how wrong I was, and how wrong is anyone who has this belief! Ya see, we are ALL slaves to something. The Bible says we are either slaves to sin or slaves to righteousness. You think because you don’t follow Jesus that you are free to do what you want and you aren’t “yoked” to something as we are “yoked” to Christ? I challenge that! You think that you are free and a slave to no one or no religion, and you can go out and enjoy life and smoke cigarettes, watch pornography, have sex with as many people as you want, drink, do drugs, having more toys than the next person… then stop! You can’t because you are a “slave” to those idols. You are NOT in control.
We all reflect what we are around. I often tell students I speak to that if they show me their friends I’ll tell them where they will be in 5 years. We reflect things in our culture and our society, sometimes knowingly and sometimes unknowingly. This is why things like the “Tide Pod Challenge” became so big. We mimic what we are around and who we are around. It influences us whether we believe it or not. You surround yourself with drinkers, you will be a drinker. You surround yourself with drug addicts, you will be a drug addict, you surround yourself with athletes you will more than likely be an athlete…
Idolatry is whatever claims the loyalty in our lives that God alone deserves. When we serve our idols in place of God, we become as empty and purposeless as the idol itself. Any of us who go to anything outside of Jesus Christ to find purpose, fulfillment or satisfaction in life, and believe we can experience any kind of life-giving blessings in those things, are deceiving yourselves. Rather than experiencing life or purpose, you have received a curse by becoming as spiritually inanimate, rebellious, empty or shameful as the idol you worship.
Many people make statements to me like: “At least I wasn’t as bad as you and worshipped the devil.” But God doesn’t see it that way. Worshipping anything outside of Jesus Christ is “rebelliousness.” And God’s Word tells us in 1 Sam. 15:23 that: “For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft (idol worship) and insubordination is as iniquity and idolatry.”
You may claim you are not a Jesus follower, but you follow something, you worship something. There is a saying that tells us our pocketbooks and checkbooks are a pretty good indicator as to what we idolize. Where is your money and time being spent? You may even claim you are family oriented and that is what gives you purpose but does your checkbook back that up? Idolatry is not a mere matter of external worship but of internal commitment by our hearts. What is your heart committed to?
Last Update: Mar 04, 2018 9:20 am CST
