Idol worship isn’t something just pagans do

If you know the parable commonly called The Good Samaritan, or the story of the Woman at the Well, you have some idea of the animosity between the Jews and the Samaritans.

Do you know why? Because the Jews looked down on the Samaritans for their idol worship. They wanted to worship both God and idols, a carryover from their exile in Assyria.

“… worship the LORD your God; it is he who will deliver you from the hand of all your enemies.”

“They would not listen, however, but persisted in their former practices.

“Even while these people were worshiping the LORD, they were serving their idols. To this day their children and grandchildren continue to do as their ancestors did.”

The point here is that you can’t worship God and the idols of this world. You will hate the one and love the other.2 Kings 17:39-41

An idol does not need to be an image carved of wood or stone.

What is your idol?

Money?
Power?
Porn?
Food?
A public figure?
A flag or idealized version of a nation?
A political party?
Music?
Knowledge?
Social media?
Politics?
Gambling?
Alcohol?

An idol can be anything.

You might use it to define your identity? Perhaps you’ve held on to what you cherish so tightly that you’ve lost friends and relations with family members? Or did you spend too much money on it? Lied or promoted lies to defend it or its place in your life? Perhaps you’ve been unyielding and unwilling to accept contradictory points of view. You may even attack others and demean them when they disagree with you about your idol.

An idol is something that controls you and consumes you.

I’m sure I haven’t listed all the ways an idol can take center stage in your life.

It may be so central, you don’t even recognize how it has pushed God aside in your life.

But ask you this, could you be like First Century Christians and rejoice if you lost that thing, even had it confiscated, had it stolen, consumed by a fire, or it just stopped to be a thing?

If God told you to walk away from anything now in your life, change your attitude toward it, or stop believing in it, could you do it willingly and with a joyful heart?

You suffered along with those in prison and joyfully accepted the confiscation of your property, because you knew that you yourselves had better and lasting possessions. So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded. Hebrews 10:34-35 (NIV)

If you recognize an idol in your life, God will forgive you, but you must repent. His grace is free, but it isn’t cheap. The cost is surrendering to him.