How many times do you call your child’s name before he/she looks up from their iPhone or iPad? How often do they call for your attention and you are locked into Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat or….? We give our concentration to what we love. God is a jealous God. Jealousy is the fear of being displaced. God is very clear about how we are to set our affection and how HE defines “an idol” in scripture. Our “obsession or devotion to” is demonstrated by the way we use and prioritize our time which defines what we value most.
I think most people would say I am a relatively dedicated woman and mother…I do right things by all observation and by the current standard worldview of what a woman or mother should be, BUT, in the light of this discussion…am I an idolater? “You don’t have to go to heathen lands today to find false gods. America is full of them. Whatever you love more than God is your idol.” D. L. Moody Who or what is my “first” priority? That will give me my first clue!
“You shall have no other gods before Me.” Ex. 20: 3 It’s a command! Just finding your identity in your role as a mom or your position at work can be idolatry! Focus on your social media following, continually refreshing your newsfeed, concentrating on your gifts, skills, abilities or achievements can become your first love. Where and how do I spend my money? Are my hopes hung on finances?
What am I busy with? Where do I find my joy? (planning vacations, marathons, hobbies, the newest experience?) What do I value? (is comfort and convenience drawing my heart away from Him?) What do my thoughts focus on…they reveal my desires? Does my conversation flow when talking for hours on “harmless” earthly matters, but when asked about God’s word…am I completely empty! Am I seeking Him first and what only HE can give.
I know you are already rationalizing and making excuses for the amount of time you spend in areas that are related to God’s definition of an “Idol”. “I can’t Lord, I have to put my family first,” was the response of the man in the Bible who, clearly, had a pecking order of loyalties. Christ simply said, “Follow Me! Let the spiritually dead, bury the dead…you follow me.” Luke 9: 59
Prioritizing our loyalties and aligning them with God’s, will result in the devotion God demands. Will it cost you and your family to put God first? YES! Priorities cause someone to be disappointed or pay a price (Christ, our example: His love for us-rejection-cross). “Idolatry” in any form, is revealed by NOT loving Him… first and foremost above all else!
“He did evil (sinned)because he did not set his heart on seeking the Lord!” II Chron. 12: 14
“Revival is a renewed conviction of sin and repentance,
followed by an intense desire to live in obedience to God.
It is giving up one’s will to God in deep humility.” Charles Finney
Are you seeking what only God can give?
Are you worshipping the Giver…not the gift?
It’s your move…
~Jackie Johnson - I am a former tribal missionary to the Kuna Indians on the Colombian border in Central America. Fluent in several languages, my husband and I currently pastor a Spanish-speaking church in Southern California. My passion is mentoring and equipping dedicated young women for life, marriage, motherhood, and beyond. I am the mother of two daughters and the grandmother of three Princesses and four young Knights.
