What is an IDOL?

[DarthNeo]

I heard a...convicting...concept taught in church yesterday. Typically, when we hear the word IDOL, we think of a false god, Baal, Baal-Zebub, Dagon, and so forth. We think to ourselves, I would NEVER worship a false god, I don't have to worry about idols - however, false gods are NOT the only idols we worship.

Anything...that you make more important than, spend more time on, allow to influence your life more that God/Jesus Christ is an idol. Anything you draw your joy from, anything you put your trust in, other than God/Jesus Christ is an idol.

So what may some of those things be that we make into idols? Sex, hobbies, our children, our jobs, how much money we have in the bank, our appearance, our abilities, a husband, a wife, another person. if any of these things have MORE influence over your life than God/Christ/Holy Spirit, they are an IDOL.

Why did God ask Abraham to take Isaac and sacrifice him (Genesis 22:1-19)? As an example to us of what we must be willing to give up to ensure we love God and allow HIM to be the greatest influence in our lives.

Ask the Holy Spirit daily to help you make Christ the number one influence on your life, to help you give up anything that may take more of your resources than He does.

As my good friend says, Him more, me less.

As my Bible Study teacher says, no one has ever said, "Man I wish I had not read so much time reading and studying the Bible" while many have said, "I can't believe how much time I have WASTED doing (that)..."

 

[Mountainmike]

Your post is an interesting reflection.

In your list You miss sports, like golf where a handicap, or running where PRs or , pop music - and with all three, the cult of celebrity where we may not worship the sportsman or popstar, but they certainly take an unhealthy portion of our attention, even to the point of obsession!

I heard a...convicting...concept taught in church yesterday. Typically, when we hear the word IDOL, we think of a false god, Baal, Baal-Zebub, Dagon, and so forth. We think to ourselves, I would NEVER worship a false god, I don't have to worry about idols - however, false gods are NOT the only idols we worship.

Anything...that you make more important than, spend more time on, allow to influence your life more that God/Jesus Christ is an idol. Anything you draw your joy from, anything you put your trust in, other than God/Jesus Christ is an idol.

So what may some of those things be that we make into idols? Sex, hobbies, our children, our jobs, how much money we have in the bank, our appearance, our abilities, a husband, a wife, another person. if any of these things have MORE influence over your life than God/Christ/Holy Spirit, they are an IDOL.

Why did God ask Abraham to take Isaac and sacrifice him (Genesis 22:1-19)? As an example to us of what we must be willing to give up to ensure we love God and allow HIM to be the greatest influence in our lives.

Ask the Holy Spirit daily to help you make Christ the number one influence on your life, to help you give up anything that may take more of your resources than He does.

As my good friend says, Him more, me less.

As my Bible Study teacher says, no one has ever said, "Man I wish I had not read so much time reading and studying the Bible" while many have said, "I can't believe how much time I have WASTED doing (that)..."

 

[DarthNeo]

Your post is an interesting reflection.

In your list You miss sports, like golf where a handicap, or running where PRs or , pop music - and with all three, the cult of celebrity where we may not worship the sportsman or popstar, but they certainly take an unhealthy portion of our attention, even to the point of obsession!

Yes, I guess they would go under the "anything" bracket

 

[Jag15]

Agreed with everything you said. God wants us to reflect his pure and loving image so an idol is anything that strips us of from that.

It confuses people why the Abrahamic God cares so much why we must only worship Him however anything else that we worship will bring us further from God and his divine nature. Therefore worshipping idols is ultimately hurting us just as much it is hurting Him.