Idols Among Us

READ: 2 CHRONICLES 34:29-33; ROMANS 12:1-2

"King Josiah!” Shaphan, the scribe, said as he burst into the palace. “We found this book in the temple. I’ve never read anything like this—if it’s true, then woe for Jerusalem!”

“Read it to me,” said Josiah. Shaphan did, and then Josiah tore his robes and wept!

What Shaphan read was the Book of the Law, the rules God’s people followed to sustain the covenant between God and themselves before Jesus fulfilled the law (Matthew 5:17; Romans 10:4). Josiah recognized that Jerusalem was full of sin—the breaking of God’s good rules. There were idols at every corner. So Josiah destroyed them! The next era of Jerusalem was filled with fire; but instead of burning incense to false gods, the city had a thick cloud of smoke over it from burning the shrines, altars, and temples of the idols.

But what does a story about burning idols have to do with us today? You might be thinking, I don’t have any idols! It’s not like I pray to the moon or anything. Consider this: When [insert tragedy] happens, which do you do first? Post about it or pray about it? We as humans often go to other things before we think to go to God.

Humans have a desire to worship. Unfortunately, we tend to forget who made us with that desire and try to fulfill it by worshiping unworthy idols. One of the biggest idols today is our phones, which we place at the center of our lives instead of Jesus. Maybe you have a different idol. Whatever it is, anything or anyone that takes God’s place in your heart is an idol.

So what can we do? By the power of the Holy Spirit, we can burn those idols like Josiah did long ago. (Note: please don’t literally burn your phone—the fumes are toxic!) “Burning” today could look like setting restrictions on your phone, taking time to pause and remember your worth in Christ before you try to find it in an idol.

Once we’ve removed the idol, our hearts need to be built up to become an altar to the true God. Josiah did this by calling Jerusalem together to read God’s laws and to make a covenant with the Lord. In the same way, the Holy Spirit helps us, as Christians, to refocus our hearts on Christ alone. • L. M.

• What idol(s) do you have in your life?

• What can you do to “burn” them—remembering that Christ, not your idol, is worthy of worship and where you can find worth and identity?

You shall have no other gods before me. Exodus 20:3 (WEB)