Written by Pastor Jack Wellman“It is a fact that God wants to destroy every work of our flesh, but He never desires to destroy our personality. He takes no pleasure in transforming us into automata; rather He delights in having us cooperate with Him.”
– Watchman Nee
If You Want to Truly Follow Christ, Begin by Smashing Your Personal Idols
Did you know that Abraham’s father was an idol smasher? Did you know that the Hebrew kings of the Bible that smashed idols found favor with God when they did so? This should all not be a surprise. After all, when we read the Bible, it is clear that God hates idolatry. Indeed, He hates it so much that it is the second thing he commands us in the Ten Commandments. Idol worship insults God because it means we’d rather trust in and worship the power of stuff we made with our hands. Worship is all about modelling. It is all about beholding something in adoration. As the Bible teaches, we become what we behold. Worshiping idols is a step down because we wish to become the created instead of wishing to restore the image of God in our hearts. It is no wonder God is offended by this practice.
Personal Idols Aren’t Any Good Either
God wants idols completely out of our lives. He wants us to raise our hand against the invisible idols we put up in our hearts. The reality is that whatever you constantly think about and focus on become your idols. You don’t have to put up a religious statue to engage in idolatry. You can engage in idolatry when work occupies center stage in your life. The same goes for reputation, status, power, control, or anything. Anything that is not of God or of service to His will is sin. When we behold, and become something less than the full power of God we are engaging in idolatry. This is so easy to do with the love for money.
Smash Your Personal Idols
As Corinthians teaches us, our bodies are God’s holy temples. We must pay special attention to what we put on, put into, and do with our temples. By constantly thinking about money, worrying about where our next meal will come from, thinking about what other people are thinking, or otherwise fixating on anything other than God and his holy will, we are committing idolatry. Are you ready to break the idols in your personal temple? Are you ready to worship only him instead? We all have to ask these questions on the daily basis. We have to cleanse our personal temples every single day until Jesus comes again.
