IDOLATERS?

When is the last time you worshiped an idol? Over and over, the Bible warns us of worshiping idols. Yet, in twenty-first America, we think of idols as little (or big) statues that are seen as gods.

The fact is, we have many idols in this country; and, unfortunately, many professing Christians are unknowingly worshipping these idols. 1 Cor 10:14 tells us to flee from idolatry. Therefore, we must keep a watch to avoid it.
How do you know you've entered idolatry? There are three great signs of idolatry: speech, money, and action.
That which we talk about the most is that which we love the most. I have two side hobbies, my Jeep, and my physical fitness. I can take a look at how much I talk to people about these, post on Facebook, etc and I can examine that against how much I talk to people about God and Christ and I can self-examine where my heart is lying. (Luke 6:45)

My wife and I had a friendship with another couple to whom the husband was an avid drag racer. He had a very nice car that was extremely fast on the strip. His wife once asked him, "If you had a couple hundred dollars of extra money and there was something I wanted and something you wanted for the car, what would you spend that money on?" The husband replied, "The car of course." (True story). I don't expect that this couple is still married today unless the man repented of his love for his car (and himself) over the love for his wife.

That which we spend the most of our free money on is that which we worship. There are basic needs in life but beyond that, the rest is merely for pleasures of life. It's not necessarily bad to have some nice things but we will always spend the majority of that extra money on that which we love the most. We need to examine what we are spending money on and ask, "Is this for the Kingdom of God or is this for my own worldly pleasure that will soon pass away and the memory with it?" (Matt 6:24)

What are we spending our time on and what are we giving great worship to? These are actually two different things. I can spend a lot of time in the gym, on trails, or working on my Jeep. If this is my priority then I need to be concerned. Likewise, we can get so caught up in praise for little things in this life that will pass away. We can get so excited about who wins the Super Bowl, or the presidency, or even our own scholastic achievements. There's nothing wrong with fun and praise but when our fun and praise with worldly things exceeds that of fun and praise for God then we are in danger of entering idolatry. We need to stop giving extravagant praise over the little things in life and being prunes when it comes to God. (1 John 2:15)

Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you--unless, of course, you fail the test? 2 Cor 13:5
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