Idols

Last night I was reading in Acts 17:16-34. I was really struck by verse 16, "While waiting for them (Silas and Timothy) in Athens, he was deeply troubled by all the idols he saw everywhere in the city." The Message Bible actually says it like this, "The longer Paul waited in Athens for Silas and Timothy, the angrier he got--all those idols! The city was a junkyard of idols." Those are strong words but Paul was aware of what all those idols meant in the lives of the people. Those idols were the very things that would keep them from trusting God. They put their trust in things that were created instead of the one who created all things. I started to think about the different idols in our world today. They are everywhere! People are turning to them right and left thinking that they will fill some void or hole in their lives and they only make the hole bigger. It's kind of like that saying, "You can't dig yourself out of a hole." We all have idols in our lives. An idol is anything that takes priority in our lives. If it takes priority in our lives then it has taken the place that belongs to Jesus. I have had to really think about this today and I have been trying to identify the different idols in my life. (I wish I could say that I don't have any but that would be a big fat lie.) Sometimes my job becomes an idol. I love my job and sometimes it takes a lot of my time and energy and I will use that as an excuse to skimp of skip my time with the Lord. It doesn't always seem like an idol because I am serving the Lord. Surely that counts for something. Actually, it doesn't. It is still an idol. I have others, things like being a perfectionist, my down time, time with my friends, the list can go on and on. What about you? What are the idols in your life that you need to surrender to the Lord? It is one thing for someone who isn't a follower of Jesus Christ to have idols in their lives but it isn't good for us, especially if we would like to have an influence on others. When the Lord shows you an idol in your life, it is important that we surrender that idol and get our priorities back in line. That priority list always beings with Jesus. Make sure you have put Him at the top of your list.