Do You Have a Hidden Idol?
ICS Daily Devotions
Colossians 3:5 (NASB 1995) Therefore consider the members of your earthly body as dead to immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed, which amounts to idolatry.
There is an insatiable quest for materialism in the world. The pursuit of wealth and materialism is their god. People pursue what they haven’t got despite the many things that they already own. They pursue friendships based on people’s net worth, looks and connections rather than love. Their identity is in their corporate positions, their companies, salary package and the circle of influence that they mingle with.
1 Timothy 6:17 (NKJV) Command those who are rich in this present age not to be haughty, nor to trust in uncertain riches, but in the loving God, who gives us richly all things to enjoy.
Sometimes, Christians are willing to give up anything or compromise their walks with God just to belong to a certain strata of society, and this is what haughtiness means in the above Scripture. Greed and the price for being affluent have caused many to pierce themselves with many sorrows, such as the lack of time spent with their children, strained marriage relationships and the loss of close friends in their pursuit of significance in the corporate world, and when all these things are taken away from them, they will experience a sudden loss of their identity.
If we are not careful, Christian can be affected by elitism and trust in uncertain riches so that money and success have taken over to be their god. It is an idolatry in their lives when their identity is built on their possessions, corporate positions, their companies, and the people they associate with.
It is a slippery slope for those who think highly of themselves and belittle others less successful than them, because what they do not realise is that the higher they go, the greater the impact of the fall. Some have gone into depression, disillusionment and even become suicidal when they lose the attention, false significance and security brought about by the things in the world.
Therefore, we have to deal with the idolatry of covetousness and riches. For those who have trusted in uncertain riches, what they don’t realise is that the misery they feel about themselves stems from how they have valued others in their glory days. They believe they are worthless now that the worldly stature is taken away from them.
Lastly, one of the clear symptoms of someone who has been affected by the secular worldview is an indifferent attitude towards God. Have you turned lukewarm and cold towards God and the things of God? If the answer is yes, you need to deal with the idols in your life and begin to worship God as the source of all your blessings in life. However, if the love of money and material things is not an issue in your life, you should enjoy the blessings from God, because Hs is a loving Father who gives good and perfect gifts to us.
Sermon Series: Freely Received and Freely Give
