Worthless Idols
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What causes you the most anxiety? You know the kind - it wakes you in the middle of the night, and won’t let you fall back asleep. You toss and turn and fret about possible scenarios, wondering how you can gain control of the situation, until you wear yourself out from exhaustion and worry.
This almost always happens to me when I’m worried about money. I look at all of the things on the horizon that need extra cash and I panic. The water heater goes out unexpectedly. A friend needs help. Sometimes I simply think having something new or better will satisfy a craving in my heart.
Eve thought the same thing. The fruit in Eden was a delight to the eyes, but in the end what seemed irresistible to her and Adam led to death for all humanity.
Our souls have an enemy.
He comes to steal, kill and destroy, but he disguises himself as an angel of light.
He tells us that we aren’t wrong to make security our highest aim.
He whispers that we deserve to be happy, and we should get rid of anything, and anyone, who doesn’t contribute to that.
He tempts us with pleasure; with an insatiable desire for food, alcohol and sex.
He says the heart should have what the heart wants, and we bend our ear closer as he talks because that’s just what we want to hear.
There is also One who loves our soul, and he speaks a better, albeit harder, word: “And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil.”
“Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light, but if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness! No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.”
In Ephesus the name of the Lord Jesus was being glorified. As people turned away from idols and to the living God, livelihoods were threatened. Those whose self-worth and financial security came from the sale of silver trinkets, turned their anger upon Paul.
They wanted to kill Paul, but what they needed to put to death were the things that belonged to their earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. And so do we.
We can’t serve two masters. Whose voice are we listening to…and whose are we following?
The one who hates us tells us what we want to hear. His way seems right to us, but it ends in death.
The One who loves us tells we must take up our cross and follow him. In this world we will have trouble, but in Him we will find joy everlasting.
“Those who cling to worthless idols turn away from God’s love for them.”
By the power of his Spirit, may we be a church who casts aside our idols and turns fully toward Jesus.
Praying he satisfies us with his love,
-Natalie Runyon