Gods at War
How Can You Keep the Gods From Taking Over Your Life?
Idolatry is something which Christians must guard against during the entirety of their lives. Particularly today, with consumerism being as rife as it is, idols can be easily picked up just by going about daily life. The bible counsels against idolatry in many sections, including the (arguably one of the most important verses on the subject)
you shall not make for yourself an image of anything in heaven above or in 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” (Exodus, 20:4-5, New International Version).
The way society is set up renders it much more difficult to avoid consumerism, and thus idolatry. While it is difficult to refuse the call of consumerism (particularly for teenagers, under the influence of peer pressure), it can and should be done nonetheless. According to Idleman, the love we have for God will overcome the love we hold for society’s idols, because it is the oldest and closest love we possess (2013, ch. 12). That is not to say that it is a failing to love other people, or even other things; it is simply that “the first commandment is to love the Lord our God, and the second is to love one another” (Idleman, 2013, ch. 12). Simply put, our love for the Lord should outweigh our love for material goods.
Idolatry can come in many forms: while it is mainly seen as involving things which are outside ourselves, as we have seen in the previous paragraph, it can also involve making an idol of oneself. Thinking you are above other people, being unable to see them as equals, and constantly being on the defensive are all possibly symptoms of having created an idol of yourself. Idleman specifically states that to make an idol of yourself is to be alone (2013, ch. 13), a fate which no one deserves. The quote from Exodus (20:4-5, NIV) reminds us that bowing down and worshipping creatures other than God includes ourselves as well, and reminds us that God is with us in our efforts to keep ourselves from succumbing to idolatry.
Reference
Idleman, K. (2013). Gods at War: Defeating the Idols that Battle for your Heart. Michigan, Zondervan.
