Summary

The website content discusses the modern forms of idolatry, emphasizing the importance of prioritizing a relationship with God over other aspects of life that may become idols.

Abstract

The article "3 Common Idols That Root Themselves in Your Life" explores the subtleties of contemporary idolatry, which can divert focus from a meaningful relationship with God. It identifies three prevalent idols: over-reliance on one's own understanding, placing excessive importance on love and relationships, and prioritizing hobbies and entertainment. The text underscores that even seemingly positive pursuits can become idols if they overshadow one's devotion to God. It encourages trust in God's wisdom, cautions against elevating human relationships to a divine status, and advises moderation in hobbies and entertainment to ensure they do not displace spiritual practices. The article concludes by reminding readers that God's revelation is crucial in identifying idols, and that obedience and surrender to God lead to spiritual abundance.

Opinions

Idols today are often not physical objects but rather intangible priorities or attachments that compete with devotion to God.
The Bible consistently condemns idolatry, and modern interpretations of this sin include placing anything or anyone before God.
Trusting in one's own understanding rather than seeking God's guidance is seen as an act of idolatry and disobedience.
Relationships can become idols when they take precedence over one's relationship with God, especially when one expects a partner to fulfill divine roles.
Hobbies and entertainment, while not inherently wrong, become problematic when they consume time meant for spiritual growth and communion with God.
The article suggests that true love and right relationships will encourage closeness with God, not distract from it.
The author admits to personal struggles with idolizing relationships and emphasizes the importance of recognizing and rectifying such patterns.
The text implies that God's intervention is necessary to identify

Idolatry

3 Common Idols That Root Themselves in Your Life

They are subtle and hold you back from forming a meaningful relationship with God

Idolatry is anything you seek to give you that which only God can give. (Photo: Pixabay)

In the olden days, people would bow down and worship statues and images, but idolatry looks so much different nowadays.

Idols are very subtle these days and they covertly root themselves into your life. Because they’re so subtle it can be very difficult to identify an idol.

Anything and anyone that competes for your total devotion to God is an idol. Even good things can become idols when it becomes more important to you than God.

The bible has so much to say about idolatry, but none of it is positive. It was looked down upon both in the old and new testaments. Idolatry is the second commandment and breaking that command is disobedience against God.

No one can identify an idol in your life but God, because he knows your mind and sees your heart. He sees things you may not even know is there. But these are some common idols that most of us have without even realizing it.

1. Your Own Understanding

It’s very difficult to trust in God when you can’t see what he’s doing in your life. During difficult times, we lose focus on God when we don’t understand what's going on.

When we can’t understand something, it’s human nature to want to get to the bottom of it. We turn our back on God and we try to figure it out on our own.

We over-analyze, overthink and look at the situation from every angle and when we still can’t figure it out, we are tempted to curse at God when we didn't ask for his wisdom.

God asks us to trust him in every situation and not depend solely on our own understanding. He wants us to include him in everything so he can show us the best path to take and the right things to do.

We may not always know what lies ahead, but God knows everything.

When we rely on our own understanding, it becomes an idol that takes us away from God.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight — ‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭3:5–6‬.

2. Love and Relationships

This is an idol that I’m guilty of having in my own life. I’m not proud of it because placing people on a pedestal never ended well for me.

I love being in a relationship and whenever I was in one; I worshipped the man I was with and looked up at them like they were everything I needed.

They weren’t.

In the end, they only hurt me and broke my heart.

It’s not easy to see that a relationship has turned into idolatry but you can tell when no matter how much you attempt to focus on God, your attention returns to this person.

When a person becomes more important to you than God is, when they're all you can think about, when you look to them to solve your problems, they’ve become an idol, and this person is taking your attention away from God.

The person God has for you will not take your attention away from God. They will lead you to God and that’s how you can tell whether the relationship you’re in is right or wrong.

When the person you’re with takes your attention away from God, they’ve become an idol.

3. Hobbies and Entertainment

Hobbies look harmless and are even important, but they can seriously compete with our time with God.

Activities such as television, exercise, social media, and others aren’t wrong, but when because of them we aren’t spending quality time with God then it becomes a problem.

If you’re playing video games all night that by the time you’re done, it’s too late and you’re too tired to say a prayer, then video game has become more important than God.

If watching a show on Netflix has taken so much of your time that you don't want to read the words of God, then there’s certainly a problem.

There’s nothing wrong with hobbies and entertainment, but if that’s all you do all day and you can’t make time to spend time with God and get to know him better, then it looks a lot like idolatry.

Idolatry in every form takes your attention away from God.

Final Thoughts

Leaning on your own understanding, relationships and hobbies aren’t the only forms of idolatry in our lives.

The past and our obsession with it can become an idol. Our goals and dreams become idols if it’s all we care about. Our love for money can easily become a huge idol in our life. Work too. If all you do is work and you’re just too tired to talk to God when you get home, there’s a big problem. Family can also become an idol if it prevents you from drawing near to God.

Other forms of idolatry are the worship of angels and archangels. We aren't supposed to worship or pray to angels. Angels were created by God and we must therefore worship God if we are in awe of them.

Astrology and tarot can also be idolatry if it takes your attention away from God.

You may not be aware, but God can reveal to you what’s taking your attention away from him. If God reveals it to you, you can't fight it or pretend you didn't hear it.

Be obedient and release whatever it is to God. Whatever you release to the Lord, you get more and better in return. When you place your faith and trust in God, inviting him to be number one in your life, abundance and blessings will flow beyond your comprehension. “Seek ye first the Kingdom of God and his righteousness and all these things shall be added unto you.”