How Did We Get Here? Understanding the Path to Secular Christianity: Idolatry
How did we get here? I have pondered this question more and more since I wrote my last blog. I believe the pathway to secular Christianity by most is unintentional. It creeps in undetected. That's why being aware of these flagstones is so important.
This summer I spoke at a family camp. It was a tremendous time for myself and my family. One of the talks I gave was on one such flagstone:idolatry.
If I asked the average Christian, “Do you worship any idols?” I assume most would say “No.” This is because they automatically think of the golden calf in the story of Moses leading the Israelites out of Egypt. Or perhaps they are thinking of Exodus 20: 3-4 “You shall have no other gods before Me. You shall not make for yourself an idol, or any likeness of what is in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the water under the earth.” They would be right in identifying this kind of idol. But this type of idol is not what I mean. Instead, I mean what do you worship – spend time, money, resources, attention to consistently and gladly?
I am currently studying the book of Luke which is one of the four gospels containing the life and works of Christ. Today I studied Luke 6. So much in this chapter spoke to me. And then I came to Luke 6:46-49 and it opened my eyes to what idolatry does to us as Christians. Listen to the words of Jesus:
“Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say? As for everyone who comes to me and hears my words and puts them into practice, I will show you what they are like. They are like a man building a house, who dug down deep and laid the foundation on rock. When a flood came, the torrent struck that house but could not shake it, because it was well built. But the one who hears my words and does not put them into practice is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. The moment the torrent struck that house, it collapsed and its destruction was complete.”
In my last post, I talked about our Biblical illiteracy and how it’s creating Christians with poor theology and ultimately a weak foundation. Well, Christ here challenges those to whom he was addressing and us today.
“Why do you call me, Lord? You don’t follow my teaching!” In other words, stop calling me Lord if you are going to follow your own feelings and beliefs. When we as believers call Jesus Lord, we will follow the Bible’s teaching. We will follow all of it. We will put God first in our lives. Remember Jesus words in Luke 4:8, “You shall worship the Lord your God and serve Him only.” This does not mean you won’t have hobbies. This doesn’t mena you won’t spend time with certain people consistently. But it does mean having right priorities out of love of God and not obligation.
When we think of idolatry as that which consumes our lives outside of God, our lives will have glaring idols. An obvious one is media entertainment. In 2013 the average American adult spent 11 hours and 52 minutes each day consuming digital media.[1] The average water cooler talk in my past work experiences has been of “which TV shows did you watch?”
But there are some who aren’t addicted to media. Perhaps you have children who have become an idol. Does every waking moment away from your work consist of entertaining your children? Even to the detriment of your marriage? What about a hobby of fixing up cars, house projects, or reading fiction books?
I challenge you to search your heart, your calendar, and your checking account register. Discover that which you truly worship and turn back your focus on God. If you don’t, you’re building your faith and life on sand.
Question: What are your idols? What do you need to re-prioritize in your life so you can put God first? How will you do this?
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