According to the Bible, King Solomon is the wisest man to have ever lived. Silver had no value during his day because he had so much of it and so much gold. The whole known world knew his name. He built magnificent structures. He even had 700 wives. Could you get more “successful”? He had all the power, wisdom, wealth, fame, and sex a person could want and this is his great revelation: “I have seen everything that is done under the sun, and behold, all is vanity and a striving after wind” (Ecclesiastes 1:14). Thank you, O’ wise king for such a depressing message. The thing is, none of these idols were ever designed to fulfill us. If we want to be fulfilled in life, we need to break down our idols and turn back to God.
What is an Idol?
When I say idol, it’s easy to think of little figures carved out of stone, wood, or gold. I don’t think many of us (if any) have little idols sitting around in our homes. If we do, they are typically just decorations. I’m not talking about these mini manikins.
An idol is something we turn to for help when things go bad. They are things we dedicate our lives to, or turn to in order to find our meaning. We often times turn to our idols to find our identity. Here are some examples of what an idol might be: sports, video games, friends, yourself, your looks, your image, cell phones, money, fame, knowledge, comfort, safety, a romantic relationship, children, your work ethic, self improvement, hobbies, etc.
The frustrating thing is that we can have far more than one idol. And often times we need to break down our idols multiple times before we can begin making progress.
Why should we break down our idols?
I still have far too many idols in my life. I’ve come a long way, but I still have a long ways to go. It’s been a hard fight to break down my idols, but I haven’t given up yet because I’ve seen the results. Over and over in the old testament of the Bible there’s stories of people breaking down idols. Their reason for doing so is to help them grow dependent on God alone because they knew their false gods would never be able to protect and provide for them like the Living God could.
I heard a pastor tell an interesting story last week at church. They were sending off a part of their congregation to plant a new church a few years ago. The pastor announced that the church would send them off with $100,000. The congregation cheered. When the applause faded, the pastor said he was just kidding, but instead his church would pray that the presence of God would go with them to guide, provide, and protect them. This upset a lot of people, and when I heard the story too I thought it was a pretty cruel joke, but then he went on to explain. Which is better $100,000 or the presence of God? Sure, money can provide some things, but will even all that money last a church ten years? Most likely not.
The real question is, which do you trust will better provide for you? And, this is the question we all must ask ourselves. If the answer isn’t God, then we have an idol in our lives. We also need to ask ourselves what we trust to protect us, fulfill us, or bring us joy, meaning, and hope.
The truth is, only God can do all these things completely. Other things will attempt to fill our needs but will never truly satisfy them. Sure, donuts might fill your stomach so it no longer feels hungry. But, if all you eat is donuts, your body won’t get the nutrition it truly needs. God knows what we truly need, not just what we think we need. If you depend on and trust God for all these things, then you will never be afraid, or empty of any necessity.
Let’s break down our idols together
A life of total dependence on God is worth it. I’ve tasted it a few times. I can verify that Psalm 34:8 is telling the truth when it says “Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in him.” It is a blessed life to live in total reliance on God. Though such a life might be hard and uncomfortable, it is full of sweet joy, peace, and love.
Like I said, I’ve tasted this life only a few times, but new idols keep popping up and I keep losing the sweetness of this lifestyle. So, to help and encourage you I’ll be sharing more about the idols I’m fighting to tear down in later blog posts. Hopefully this will help you recognize new idols and give you strategies to help break down your idols.
What idols are you fighting to tear down? And how have you found success in doing so? Please comment your thoughts below.
If you’d like to hear my story and how God got me started on this journey of depending on him, please check out my post: The Beginning of a Long Journey
