I like nice things. Who doesn't, right? In the society that we live in today, "things" abound. Cars, homes, things that fill the homes, clothes from Buckle (it's my fav.)
So the question today is this... when does having nice things become serving nice things and count as worshiping idols instead of God? This questions plagued me after my bible reading today in Kings. Quick back story:
The Children of Israel just can't seem to consistently get it right. They see the power of the Lord, they have a good king who serves the Lord and tears down all their foreign idols and they get back on the right track, then they get a bad king and they let other idols creep in again and down the path of God's anger they go. It really was a vicious cycle with these people. Kind makes me sick to read it.
2 Kings 17:41 says: So these nations feared the Lord and also served their carved images. Their children did likewise, and their children's children--as their fathers did, so they do to this day.
It's that first line that got to me - "so they feared the Lord and ALSO served their carved images."
Do I do that? Serve the Lord and also serve the other "things" I hold important in my life.
I fear my answer is yes if I am honest. It is not purposeful, but I know it happens.
Thinking hard on it makes my stomach turn. I have no desire to serve anything or anyone but the Lord, and yet our world creeps in and "things" take over the number one spot in my mind for a time. I can come up with excuses to make it seem not so bad, but in God's eyes - if something has taken His place in my life even for a moment, He is jealous and grieved.
I am bought with a price. The precious price of God's only son and that makes me worth something to Him. Certainly worth more than any "thing" I have bought with a price. (TV, clothes, house, car, whatever...)
So I pose the question to you again: when does having nice things become serving nice things and count as worshiping idols instead of God?
Feel free to discuss amongst yourselves in the comment section, hopefully after you have done a little self examination.
No Other Gods
©1993 Mercy / Vineyard Publishing
Lord, break the power of idols Come and rule as king
Break the chains that bind us Come and rule as king
We will have no other gods
We will serve no other master but you
We will have no other gods
For it is written, worship the Lord, your God
and serve him only |
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2 comments:
It's all about the heart. Do our hearts long for those nice things instead of God? Do our hearts pursue them instead of God? Do we find our comfort, identity, hope, peace in them instead of God? God gives good gifts to his children. Are these gifts only the intangible and not the tangible? I know a flower is God's creation and I can admire the beauty of the flower, even pick it (if it's in my yard ;) or buy it in a store and remember He created everything. Or, I can buy a pair of sunglasses with some flowers on the side that tell me they are Brighton's (my fav) and I forget God's hand in the creation of them at all! The sad part for me is I bought those sunglasses at a very low time in my life to feel better about myself. I was seeking God but not feeling His comfort. I wasn't patient enough for His answer to my pain. Honestly...I didn't understand that He was all I needed. I didn't sit still long enough to let Him fill me up. I thought I needed those sunglasses. Ugh. Thank you Jesus for filling my heart's hole! When I feel pain, I choose you! You are everlasting!
Idolatry is a tricky thing. We all know that pride in what we have can lead very quickly to idolatry. But the flip side of that coin is that humility and/or a sense of asceticism can also lead to idolatry...worshiping our lack of possessions.
I guess what it really boils down to is pride. Like Stephanie said, it's the heart. But maybe it's not just so much longing for those nice things as it is where we place our attention. We live in a very nice neighborhood with very nice houses filled with very nice things, and very nicely landscaped lawns...until you come to our house. By comparison, our house doesn't have as nice stuff. Our house doesn't look like it came out of the pages of Southern Living or Better Homes and Gardens. And though we try to be good stewards of what God has given us, time and money continue to be our biggest enemies and we refuse to be caught up in a game of "keeping up with the Joneses." The only reason we are here is because God literally put us here...and has kept us here for 5 years. We recognize that. We have made a commitment that since this is essentially God's house, we want to use it for ministry in whatever form He asks us. I have had to put aside any insecurity I feel about the condition of my house (or the landscaping, or my lack of creative decorating skills, or whatever else makes me feel insecure) and just obey. It's God's house after all...He just lets us live here. And every once in awhile He finds a way to bless our socks off with the ability to do something special to it. :-)
Now if only I could have that attitude about everything else in my life, I'd be all set. lol
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