Cows, Totem Poles, and Narcissism
Materialism is just one facet of the root sin of idolatry. But make no mistake, there other forms that idolatry can take and these forms can make you a slave in much more subtle ways. Materialism is one of those things, along with the pursuit of power, that can be easily demonized by most of the upstanding citizens of Western civilization. But how does Western culture view self-worship? The fact is that our society speaks very little of submitting to the commands of God above our own. Jesus said: “If you love me, you will keep my commandments” (John 14:15). He did not say “God helps those who help themselves.” That was Ben Franklin.
We were created to show the glory of the omnipotent Creator. This is our purpose in life, this is to be our goal. What is your top priority throughout the week? At the beginning of each day? Is it to glorify God? There are a number of ways we’ve been told by Scripture that we can accomplish this. In order to show His glory, you have to know how. Pick up your Bible and read!
If you are not continually seeking the Father and His will, ask yourself where your love lies. Ask yourself whom you are seeking to obey.
2 Timothy 3:2-5
For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3 heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, 4 treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, 5 having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people.
Paul starts this list off with what I believe is at the core of all idolatry. When people love themselves above all else, they prize their own will and desires above all else. That will manifest itself as simple, greedy materialism or as prideful self-edification or as seemingly honorable devotion to one’s spouse/family above all else (including God) or as a thousand other things. When we decide that what we want is more important than what God wants, we create idols. To God, this is no different than molding gold into the shape of a cow or carving a statue from wood and bowing before it in worship.
To worship is to ascribe worth; to declare something as valuable and deserving of attention. Are we, as individuals, more deserving of attention than the One who designed and constructed the entire universe? The Triune God who set the stars in motion is also the one who devised the atomic makeup of hops and barley. He is also the Author and Composer of the songs of every bird. He designed your fingerprints long before your ancestors were twinkles in their parents’ eyes.
Colossians 1:17
And He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.
He alone is worthy of glory, honor, and worship.
Are you a Christian? Do you believe in the person and work of Jesus the Messiah? Do you see that He is the Creator who loved His creation enough to become like it so that He could restore our relationship with Him, which we broke and have no power to fix? If so, prove it.
James 2:18
…Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works.
2 Corinthians 13:5
Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?-unless indeed you fail to meet the test!
Comments
AWESOME JARED
this was really good. it really helps one see the depth of idolatry and how it is created and how to not let it happen.
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