Modern Day Idols

What does idolatry mean in the bible?

For the Children of God, God must always be the first priority. Giving excessive priority and attention even to good things such as ministry can become idol worship. The people of Israel kept on grieving God by seeking to worship and give the glory of God to the idols. Today, Christians who are redeemed by the precious blood of Jesus Christ will not worship any physical idol, because of the indwelling Holy Spirit of God. However, we may still stumble before certain idols, which are not easily recognized as idols.

Common Modern Day Idols:

God alone deserves to sit on the throne of your life. Be cautious and avoid the common modern-day idols that the devil would want you to worship. When we read the Old Testament, we see that the children of Isreal were so foolish to fall into idol worship, again and again, forgetting the God who delivered them out of slavery in Egypt. When we read it we wonder how can these people turn back to such idols after seeing such miracles and God's mighty deliverance. These people did not have the Holy Spirit indwelling in them, as we have today. It is easy to look at them and think that they are worse while forgetting that we also tend to have idols in our life, that would indeed displease God. 

Modern Day Idols: Money and Wealth

The most common idol that we see today, even among Christians who are Born Again by the Spirit of God is money. The money that we have is not our own. Every part of our being and everything that we have is from God. We must handle money with the understanding that all our money belongs to God. God is the provider of all the good things we enjoy. Therefore, when He chooses to get back what He has given us, we must not get bitter or worry too much.

Here are some good questions to ask yourself.

Do you love money or just use and manage money as a God-given gift?

Are you willing to give it all away, if God wants you to?

Are you sacrificing your personal quiet time with God, for the love of money?

Are your goals centred around Christ or money?

1 Timothy 6:10 - For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.

Matthew 6:24 - No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.

Acts 2:44-45 - And all that believed were together, and had all things common;

Modern Day Idols: Name, Fame and Popularity

The world constantly seeks approval from people. They focus on name, fame, popularity and self-glory. The children of God are not called to live for such small things. We are called to live for the glory of God. We are not here to make our name popular but to make God's name known, praised and glorified.

Proverbs 30:8- - Remove far from me vanity and lies: give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with food convenient for me:

Galatians 6:3 - For if a man thinks himself to be something when he is nothing, he deceiveth himself.

Proverbs 8:13 - The fear of the LORD is to hate evil: pride, and arrogancy, and the evil way, and the froward mouth, do I hate.

Jeremiah 9:23 - Thus saith the LORD, Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches: 

Modern Day Idols: Human Relationships

Human relationships are good. Relationships are indeed a blessing from God. However, anything that goes above God on our priority list becomes an idol. We must be careful not to love anybody more than God because God alone deserves to be in the first place always.

Matthew 10:37 - He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.

Colossians 3:5 - Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry:

Modern Day Idols: Entertainment or Sports

How many hours do you spend watching sports and Netflix shows? While there is nothing wrong with watching sports, if you spend too much time on entertainment, you are misusing your God-given resources. As Apostle Paul said, everything is permissible but not profitable.

Do you think you spend enough time in prayer and reading God's Word?

Do you memorize and meditate on scriptures every day?

Do you spend quality time with the family God has given you?

Do you see a better way to spend your time in a God honouring way?

Are you obsessed with sports or a sports star?

Colossians 6-12 - All things are lawful unto me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any.”

Modern Day Idols: Work

Work is God's idea. God made work and He asked the first man Adam to work. However, if you start finding your identity in your job or look at it as your ultimate source of provision and security, you will make an idol out of it. It is God who gave you your job or business. He is your provider. He is the source of all our provisions. Even if you lose your job or business, God will meet your needs. Do not compromise your Christian values in your workplace, for the fear of losing your job or business.

Your ultimate provider is God, not your boss.

Psalms 127:1 - (A Song of degrees for Solomon.) Except the LORD build the house, they labour in vain that build it: except the LORD keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain.

This Post: Modern Day Idols

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