Idols

 

I listened to a radio sermon today regarding modern day idols – the kind that aren’t so easy to recognize.  Anything that we value more than God is an idol, whether it is a hobby, a person, a pet, a job...  I’ve heard variations on this topic in many radio broadcasts over the last several months as well as in sermons at church, and each time the question is asked, “What is your idol?” I get a pang of guilt and quickly think about something else.  Today, I’m not ignoring that pang of guilt.  I do have an idol.  It frequently gets the best part of me – my most productive time, my largest quantity of time, and when I yearn for something, it’s this: my computer.

Suddenly I see my computer covered in bronze, and sitting on an altar with incense burning around it, and I see how much time I spend bowing down to it every day.  Oh sure, some of the time is actually productive time; the biggest share is working on things I love to do, but certainly aren’t necessary – blogs, websites, genealogy; and a little bit of it is completely wasted time.  But even the things I love to do are taking up an inordinate amount of my time and my attention, and worst of all, my heart.  These things are overshadowing my prayer life and my Bible reading, and my bonding with the One who created it all.

So, what’s the answer?  Unplug this god named Dell and throw it in the pile with the Baals and the like?  Try to put a limit on the time I spend on it?  None of that addresses the real problem, which lies in the heart.  It’s a matter of priorities and keeping my primary focus away from worldly things and on things eternal, the things which truly satisfy for the long haul.  It’s the Ultimate Reality Check – it hurts, but it’s necessary and I’m glad I’m finally facing it.

There.  Now what’s your idol?