If you have spent any length of time in a church, you have probably heard some people talk about idols. The first place in Scripture where most people are exposed to the concept of idols is in Exodus 20:4-5. But the question we must ask ourselves is;
What does an idol look like?
Simply put, an idol is anything that pulls your attention away from pursuing God. Usually, the things that people idolize are good gifts that have taken on too much meaning in their lives. Often, the only way to identify these things is to ask the Holy Spirit to reveal to us anyone or anything that we have placed in our lives that is higher than him. And when he does, we must also be obedient to remove the idols in our lives.
Why it matters to identify and remove idols in our lives?
Jesus was crystal clear that it is impossible to serve God, when our desires are for other things.
“No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and be enslaved to money. Matthew 6:24”
What many of us don’t realize is that idols created fractured desires within us when we don’t remove them. Please hear my heart, for it grieves the Holy Spirit when we try to serve two masters. We must reflect on our own life and ask the Holy Spirit for guidance on which things are vying for more and more of your attention. Letting go of things, even good things, that are pulling your desire away from God is a necessary part of living as a disciple of Jesus.