Idol Thoughts

Hello faithful readers, and welcome to the very end of May! As we head into June there is quite a bit of exciting activity coming up (our church Anniversary, Father’s Day, and our Sunday school closing and picnic as a start). Then in July and August many people switch into “summer mode” and tend to be a little less excited about new things in their email!

With all of that in mind I’m putting the Overflow on pause until September, so this will be the last entry for now unless I something seriously inspires me in the next few months!

Defining Idolatry

Today I’ll add a little more to my topic from Sunday, idolatry. I got into this in the sermon this week (which you can watch here or listen to here), but I think that idolatry can be challenging to define and identify for many people today. When you’re worshiping a golden statue it’s pretty clear what you’re doing. But when you have misguided priorities that are largely in line with the people around you it’s not nearly so obvious.

"Yourself" is way too small, but what Google image search turned up isn't bad here.

There are many definitions of idolatry, and one that I didn’t use in this week’s sermon that I find helpful is this: “Idolatry is worshiping what you should use, and using what you should worship.”

This definition captures some of the examples of idolatry we considered on Sunday. What are things we should use, but risk worshiping? Money, to be sure. Politics is another. Entertainment fits here as well. There are many things in life that are perfectly fine to use for our benefit and in order to fulfil the calling God has given us, but which can become the true driving force in a person’s life instead of God.

This definition also has the benefit of capturing an aspect of idolatry that I didn’t discuss on Sunday – treating God as something less than God. Using what you should worship refers to treating God more like a lucky rabbit’s foot you keep around for good fortune. Or it could be thinking of God like a vending machine – insert prayer and obedience in order to get what you want. However you want to think of it, this kind of idolatry involves failing to worship God because He is glorious and worthy and awesome, and instead trying to use God to further your own goals.

Google is two for two on very specific image searched today!

There are lots of ways to try to get at the heart of what idolatry is, but rather than listing all the things idolatry can be or where the line is between enjoying something and worshiping it, it’s really best to examine our motivations. What is the purpose behind what I am doing, or how I am using my time or spending my money? And the tests Paul gives in 1st Corinthians 10 are the right ones: “Does this glorify God?” and “Is this for my good, or the good of others?” This is one way we rid ourselves of idols – by identifying what we’re doing that is purely about us, and what is intended to honour God. (The second way can be found at the bottom of today's Overflow.)

It would be nice if that were enough, but it isn’t. We can be fooled into thinking that we are doing things for God’s glory when the opposite is true. Prayerful discernment and community with accountability are important safeguards in this. But that’s still a good place to start. Does this honour God?

Evil in the World and the Idol of Self

The idol of “self” might be the most potent one at work in our world today, and it touches on everything around us. In his recent article the Christian author and lawyer (and Iraq war veteran) David French reflected on the heart-breaking situation in Uvalde, Texas. Specifically, he addressed the decision of police not to enter the classroom and confront the killer for nearly an hour despite arriving within minutes. The whole article is worth reading if your soul can handle any more news about Uvalde, but the biggest overlap with the idolatry of the self is here:

"At the root of a failure of courage is often a failure of love. C.S. Lewis wrote that courage is “not simply one of the virtues but the form of every virtue at the testing point.” Jesus said, “No one has greater love than this: to lay down his life for his friends.” What we witnessed from the police in Uvalde was the triumph of self-love over love of others, including of the young kids bleeding in that room.

At the testing point, the officers were confronted with a question, “Whom do you love?”

“I love me,” they responded, and they stood down.

That declaration, “I love me,” is endemic in our nation, and it’s not just endemic when lives are on the line..." Click here to read the whole article.

Weekly Devotional

If half of idolatry is "using what we should worship" then a big part of avoiding idolatry is simply worshiping God, and doing it well. If we lift praises God up with passion and conviction it helps us put everything else in its proper place. Here is some scripture, prayer, and a song that points us in this direction.

1st John 5:18-21

18 We know that anyone born of God does not continue to sin; the One who was born of God keeps them safe, and the evil one cannot harm them. 19 We know that we are children of God, and that the whole world is under the control of the evil one. 20 We know also that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know him who is true. And we are in him who is true by being in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life.

21 Dear children, keep yourselves from idols.

Psalm 65:1-8

What mighty praise, O God, belongs to you in Zion. We will fulfill our vows to you, 2 for you answer our prayers. All of us must come to you. 3 Though we are overwhelmed by our sins, you forgive them all. 4 What joy for those you choose to bring near, those who live in your holy courts. What festivities await us inside your holy Temple.

5 You faithfully answer our prayers with awesome deeds, O God our savior. You are the hope of everyone on earth, even those who sail on distant seas. 6 You formed the mountains by your power and armed yourself with mighty strength. 7 You quieted the raging oceans with their pounding waves and silenced the shouting of the nations. 8 Those who live at the ends of the earth stand in awe of your wonders. From where the sun rises to where it sets, you inspire shouts of joy.

Prayer

Almighty and merciful God, in your goodness keep me, I pray, from all things that may hurt me, that I being ready both in mind and body, may accomplish with a free heart those things which belong to your purpose; through Jesus Christ my Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gBjpnIOYIWE