So, rumor has it that American Idol is still on TV, right? I personally wouldn’t know because we have disconnected our cable and I haven’t really watched it since Season 2 when it was a battle between Clay Aiken and Ruben Studdard. (I still think Clay should have one… And yes, I was a HUGE Clay Aiken fan. I even went to see him in concert my freshman year of college. Don’t judge me.)
Source Here
Anywho, I think American Idol is still (barely) hanging in there, although I’ve heard that “The Voice” is kind of the thing to watch as of late. (Again, I wouldn’t really know.) But I was doing some pondering last week and started considering what it meant to be an “idol.”
Idol’s typically involve…
- People looking up them
- Wanting to be them
- Making decisions based on them
- Seeking them out
- Thinking about them regularly
I couldn’t help but think about the things in MY life that threaten to be idols, distracting me from God, The True One I should be worshipping. Perhaps your list looks similar… or maybe a little bit different. We are all human, so the temptation is there.
The potential idol: My spouse– Brandon and I have made it very clear from the beginning that we are to love God more than we love each other. To non-Christians, that might sound crazy. But it is a pure Jesus fact that if you love God more than you love your spouse, you can love your spouse even better!
The potential idol: Children– Yes, children are DEFINITELY a blessing from the Lord. However, we as parents are not supposed to worship our children. We are to love and take care of them… but NOT make them the center of the universe. Have you ever met a kid who thought they were the center of the universe? Yeah, case and point. We best leave THAT role up to God.
The potential idol: My career/ministry– Yes, I am working for God. But I have to keep my brain set on that ALL THE TIME lest I get distracted, thinking that I need to start doing my own thing before God has ordained it by means of fame, money, etc…
The potential idol: Control– This a biggie. Sure, it really isn’t a tangible thing I can touch, but man-oh-man, I sometimes find myself seeking it out almost to the point of worship. When control becomes an idol in life, we are essentially saying “Thanks, but no thanks, God. I got this. Don’t need you.” Uh yeah– not ok.
The potential idol: Security– If given the choice, most of us would choose to play it safe. But only when we take a risk for God are we truly letting Him know that HE is our everything… We trust Him to be with us no matter what path He leads us down.
The potential idol: Things of this world– This one opens up a variety of potential challenges: TV, Facebook, material possessions… You have heard it before, but we can all be tempted. Stand guard.
Does your list look similar to this? Or do you struggle with different items that worm their way into your life trying to be “the idol.” I would LOVE to hear your thoughts… feel free to leave a comment here.
American Idol was (and I guess still is) a semi-popular show… And while Clay Aiken isn’t in the picture anymore, many other areas of our lives threaten to take God’s place. So the next time you are tempted to “worship” something of this world, remember that you have already voted… Our Eternal Heavenly Idol is Jesus!
Thankful He gives us so much more than a recording contract,
SGK
“Don’t make idols for yourselves; don’t set up an image or a sacred pillar for yourselves, and don’t place a carved stone in your land that you can bow down to in worship. I am God, your God.” –Leviticus 26:1
