The Modern-Day Idol Of Materialism

The apostle John, towards the end of his life, wrote a series of short letters to people he cared about. His final words in one of those letters came straight from his father’s heart:

“Dear children, keep away from anything that might take God’s place in your hearts”

1 John 5:21 (NLT)

The words are simple, but they reflect a powerful truth. We need to watch out for anything that might compete with God for our love, trust, and devotion. Anything that pushes God out of the center of our lives is, whether we realize it or not, an idol.

One of the biggest idols we face is materialism. Materialism isn’t so much about the things we have as it is about what they do for us. When we look to them, rather than to God, for our safety, validation, or comfort, those possessions have usurped the throne of our hearts. We may not say it out loud, but our actions show that we have begun to trust money, things, or status more than we trust God.

Jesus warned, “You cannot serve God and be enslaved to money” (Matthew 6:24, NLT). Idolatry always leads to bondage. It promises security, but instead it fuels anxiety and a restless chase for more. Paul was clear about this in Colossians 3:5, calling greed a form of idolatry. When we believe that more will save us, fulfill us, or make us feel valuable, our hearts are pulled away from God.

But there is a better way. When God is at the center of our hearts, everything else finds its proper place. Instead of gripping things tightly, we can hold them loosely, as blessings from him that he has given us to manage. We become stewards, not owners.

This perspective brings freedom and peace. We don’t depend on what we have for our happiness. So, we don’t get obsessed with accumulating things, getting rich, or improving our status. And we don’t feel like our world is coming to an end if we go through loss.

Ask the Holy Spirit to search your heart. Has anything been taking God’s place in your affections? Begin to surrender those areas to him. Practice gratitude for what you already have, and watch how contentment grows. Worship him daily, lifting your eyes off what you lack and onto who he is. His love is enough, and his presence is better than anything you could buy or earn.

You will only find real freedom and lasting joy when Jesus is first. Today, choose to enthrone Jesus in his rightful place in your heart.

Excerpt from "Understanding Spiritual Warfare" devotional by Dr. Mark Jones

Search Me God...

Lord, sometimes my heart feels crowded. Worries, ambitions, old wounds: even good things: can quietly turn into idols, taking space that belongs to You. I confess, I keep holding onto things, thinking they’ll satisfy, but they never really do.

Father, will You sit on the throne of my heart? Dethrone everything that rivals You. Show me where I’ve set up substitutes, and help me surrender them. I want You to be my desire: the first, the greatest, the only One who truly fills me.

Search me, God, and know my heart... See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.

Psalm 139:23-24 (NIV) Provided by "Word of Encouragement"

Anatomy of a Surrender: Idolatry

 2 Corinthians 6:14-7:1
¹⁴ Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness? ¹⁵ And what accord has Christ with Belial? Or what part has a believer with an unbeliever? ¹⁶ And what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For you are the temple of the living God. As God has said:

“I will dwell in them
And walk among them.
I will be their God,
And they shall be My people.”

¹⁷ Therefore “Come out from among them
And be separate, says the Lord.
Do not touch what is unclean,
And I will receive you.”
¹⁸ “I will be a Father to you,
And you shall be My sons and daughters,
Says the Lord Almighty.”

7 ¹ Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.

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Paul points out the obvious conflict between light and darkness to urge the Corinthians to disassociate from corrupting influences. The principle applies to our social relationships, but it also applies to the struggles within our hearts. If light and darkness do not mix within the church, which is the temple of God collectively, they do not mix within ourselves, who as individuals are the building blocks of that temple. We cannot entertain elements of the kingdom of light and elements of the kingdom of darkness simultaneously and expect God to bear fruit in us. He wants purity.

That's a problem for every human being who has ever lived. We aren't pure. Long after we've made that landmark decision to follow Jesus, we still have internal struggles with sin and obedience. The decision was right, but the follow-through proves difficult. And it's the follow-through that makes the difference between unusual blessing and mediocrity. We cannot be mature Christians until the initial decision to let Jesus be our Lord actually becomes a way of life. We cannot make a commitment to light while maintaining our grip on darkness. We must surrender ourselves.

Nearly every Christian has remnants of darkness that cloud his or her discipleship. We like to call them character flaws or weaknesses of the flesh. In reality, they are idols. They may range from the alarming addictions of temper, lusts, and obsessive greed to the relatively minor flaws of bad diets, time mismanagement, and mild obsessions with hobbies. Regardless of their severity, they are our battlegrounds. They are points of conflict between us and our Creator. They test us on whether we will, or will not, obey.

All Christians have had their struggles with idolatry. Many of those struggles rage today. Some of them rage within your heart. The issue is not whether they are big or little sins; the issue is whether we trust God enough to do what He tells us, even in the small things. Choosing our will over His, at any level, is idolatry.

“Whatever a man seeks, honors, or exalts more than God, this is the god of idolatry.”
- William Ullathorne

[An excerpt from "The One Year Walk with God Devotional" by Chris Tiegreen]