When you hear the word “idol” what comes to mind? Singer’s on a reality show? Statues in a temple? A lazy person? Or desires that consume another person?
Regardless of what comes to your mind, the reality is that idols abound in our society and sadly even in our churches. I recently read an article that shed some light on this. I have included a portion of it below. The full article can be found at http://www.crosswalk.com/11641936/
“There are outside-the-church idols and there are inside-the-church idols. It's the idols inside the church that ought to concern Christians most. It's easier for Christians to identify worldly idols such as money, power, selfish ambition, sex, and so on. It's the idols inside the church that we have a harder time identifying.
For instance, we know it's wrong to bow to the god of power—but it's also wrong to bow to the god of preferences. We know it's wrong to worship immorality—but it's also wrong to worship morality. We know it's wrong to seek freedom by breaking the rules—but it's also wrong to seek freedom by keeping them. We know God hates unrighteousness—but he also hates self-righteousness. We know crime is a sin—but so is control. If people outside the church try to save themselves by being bad; people inside the church try to save themselves by being good.
The good news of the gospel is that both inside and outside the church, there is only One Savior and Lord, namely Jesus. And he came, not to angrily strip away our freedom, but to affectionately strip away our slavery....so that we might become truly free!”
May we people that keep Jesus as our focus and desire. Anything less, is a cheap substitute!
Loving and Leading,
Jeff Powell
