Relationship

We are made to be in a relationship, there is this desperate yearning deep at the centre of human beings reaching out for a relationship. This relationship can either be with God, other people, animals, or even things that exist in creation. God designed man to be relational, He wants to have a relationship with us that was the reason He created Adam. We are created in the image of God (Genesis 1:26-27) and thus we are created to live in a perfect relationship with God and others.

Worship

God created man to worship Him, this was why the first and second commandment from the Ten Commandment (Exodus 20:3-5) was about worshiping God and not idols (Exodus 34:14,17).

Why Idols (Romans 1:18-32)

As man yearns for a relationship, due to the wickedness and godlessness of people, they suppress the truth of knowing God. Thus a sinful desire is activated in their hearts, why Romans 1:24 says, God gave them over in the sinful desire of their heart ….

²⁴ Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. ²⁵ They exchanged the truth about God for a lie, and worshipped and served created things rather than the Creator—who is forever praised.

The natural (inborn) human heart desire for relationships fuels man’s passion to worship someone or something. If God is not worshipped, humans quickly and readily worship other “gods”, idols like people, objects, material possessions or anything in creation.

We need to lay down our Idols

God created us to worship him. Our heart will always yearn (long) to worship, so we either worship God or worship God’s creation (or our own creation). 

Anything we worship is always something or a person we have placed above us. This is the person or thing we believe will give us the most satisfaction, pleasure or benefit.

Ezekiel 14:1-8, here God is saying that he will not entertain peoples requests if they had set up idols in their hearts. Idols separate us from God. Please consider these idols that can set up a stronghold in the heart. 

Money

 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs. (1Timothy 6: 10). What are you really trying to buy, Security, pleasure, reputation?

Pride

Some people believe they don’t need God or anyone in their lives. And this can manifest itself in many ways. Disobedience is often a matter of pride. It is when you don’t want others telling you how to live or run your life. They think more highly of themselves than they ought to think (Romans 12:3). Philippians 2:3 says we should count others more significant than us. Pride of life is not of the Lord (1 John 2:16). 

Lust

“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart. (Matthew 5: 27-28)

So many people are addicted to lustful thoughts and actions, and get satisfaction from such habits. (James 1:14-15) God is the only solution to our problems, no lustful thought or actions can help us.

Physical Idols

(Exodus 20:3-5a) You shall have no other gods before me. You shall not make for yourself a carved image, 

We can boldly say we don’t have graven images in our homes. But a physical idol is anything that we spend time with and are not willing to give up to serve God. It also distracts us from focusing on God appropriately.

People we celebrate: It is not a bad thing to appreciate the ability and talents of others, but has our mind become filled with their abilities more than it is focused on God?

Books: How long do we dedicate to reading other books, that will not make us grow to spending time reading our bible. Are these books robbing away our time with God?

Television/Phone: most people spend more than half the day in front of the TV. We tend to surf our phone every minute checking to see new updates on social media

Other things include: cars, Internet access, house, clothes etc.

Anything that will make us sad if they are removed; destroyed or no more available is an idol. Most of these things rob us of our joy if anything happens to them. 

Self

(Matthew 6:33) But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

Do you place your own needs and wants ahead of what the Lord wants you to do? Are we allowing our personal need to stand in between us and God?

Some people are wrapped up in their careers that they can’t see a way to serve the Lord. 

Rules/Traditions

(Mark 7:8) You leave the commandment of God and hold to the tradition of men.”

Most people value their own set of rules and traditions above the law of God. So many have become obsessed by the traditions of their church that they forget, or actively ignore, the teachings of the Bible

Religion

(Matthew 23:27-31) 

Religion can easily become an idol when we throw out the teachings of the Bible in preference to our own books or teachings. We should focus on a relationship with God, not on an undying commitment to a church or religion.

Hatred and Bitterness

(Ephesians 4:26-27) “Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, ²⁷ and give no opportunity to the devil.”

Some people seem to be lost if they do not have someone or something to be mad at. There is nothing wrong to be angry over sin, but consuming bitterness for a person will destroy us. We should let go of our hatred and bitterness for others. We always fear that if we let go then it would give approval to what the other person has done. But it is only destroying us and does not affect the other person.

Instead of allowing bitterness to become an idol, we should learn to pray for the other person. There is more joy and we will trade our worship of hatred for a real prayer life with God.

Fear and Worry

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God (Philippians 4:6)

Sometimes people hang on to their fears because it gives them comfort over what they can control. This is the fear of not stepping out in faith and following God to take control. That is another attempt to control one’s life and not allow the Lord to be in control.

How to lay down our idol and worship God

All these things that take the place of God in our heart are things of the world. And they are in our heart because of our anxiety of God not meeting our needs. The only way to get rid of these idols is to set our hearts on heavenly things.

Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. ¹⁶ For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world. ¹⁷ And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever (1 John 2:15-16)

If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. ² Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth  (Colossians 3:1-2)

Christians should seek the things of God; place their desires and affections on things outside this world. 

(Matthew 6:25-34) Talks about us not being anxious for anything; No matter what we set down as an idol, it can never satisfy us and will not solve our problem.

Let’s cast all our worries and anxiety on him because He cares for us.

⁶ Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, ⁷ casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you (1 Peter 5: 6-7)