What are you making your idol today?

Just saw a question in my email – “Is patriotism idolatry?” Of course the answer is “Yes – it can be.” – but it made me ask a follow up question – What are you making your idol today? Here’s a list of other possibilities :-

• Money – that’s always been a ‘good’ idol to have except that the Bible says that the love/idolatry of money is the root of all evil.
• Riches, property, jewels, or art is another small group where many pay homage and worship their false gods and idols.
• Your favourite sportsman/woman – another popular one in that many sports stars today have been raised to idol status. This may be due to their sporting prowess or to the riches generated by that prowess. Either way they are ‘idols’.
• Your favourite entertainer – singer, group, film star – another idol group. Just look at the success of the Pop Idol programs.
• How about your favourite business man/woman? Many make idols, even gods, of them.
• Finally your favourite Christian (ministry, pastor, preacher, prophet, healer etc) Very many have been idolised for both their ministries and their persona. We put them on little pedestals and we almost worship them. Sometimes we treat them as equals with God - but we'd never admit it !!

So, have you idolised any of these? After all, you have so many to choose from !

Of course the Bible says in Exodus 20:2-5
"I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. You shall have no other gods before me. You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments.”
So where does that leave our idolising of mere people? The real problem with idols is that they fall. Let me cite just one or two fallen idols – OJ Simpson? Michael Jackson? In latter times a certain Mr. Woods has fallen somewhat.

There isn’t a single ‘idol’ worth the name. Not one who lives up to his or her billing. Granted that some of them actually believe their own press – actually believe they are important. Most have quite a liking for, and enjoy their status, and only a very few actually care little or nothing for their own fame. It’s very much that way in Christian circles too. How many Christian ‘idols’ have been caught out – have tried to play down something – have broken marriages and so on? All they prove, sadly, is that idols fall.

However, God, the Lord, never falls – He never falters nor stumbles. He certainly never fails. He never says that He wished He hadn’t done something. It sort of puts all our idolatry into perspective doesn’t it? I think it does – how about you ??