Word of the Week - Idols
“You shall have no other gods before me. You shall not make for yourself a carved image…You shall not bow down to them or serve them." – Exodus 20:3-5
I spent this weekend at a men’s conference at Lake Martin with a little over 100 men. The essence of this “Warrior” retreat hosted by Triumph of Hope was geared towards “Awakening men to seek after God’s best and highest purpose for their lives”. It was a powerful experience with a combination of testimony/talks, prayer, praise and worship, reflection, and a call to confession, repentance, and surrender; with the hope that all attendees would experience personal revival in their walk with Jesus and be freed from anything that may be holding us back from experiencing the fullness of God in our lives.
As I prayed and reflected about my own life and what might threaten or hinder my relationship with Jesus, I felt the holy spirit gently nudge and remind me of the risk of idols. An idol is anything we put in the place of God in our hearts — anything we love, trust, or obey more than Him. It can be a physical object, but more often it’s a desire, ambition, relationship, or pursuit that takes God’s rightful place as first in our affections and allegiance.
Given my stage of life — decades into business leadership, a growing ministry vision, a deep desire to leave a generational impact, and an active role in family and marriage (34 years of marriage, 3 grown children and 8 grandchildren) — some “idols” may be subtle, even good things that could shift into ultimate things if I am not intentional about protecting my heart and soul in these areas.
Here are a few things that God showed me that I need to be aware of quietly taking the throne of my heart:
Achievement & Legacy – Measuring my worth by what I have built, the size of my influence, or how well my company/ministry will carry forward my name. The risk here is that I find my identity in accomplishment versus who I am in Christ. “What does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul?” (Mark 8:36)
Control & Self-Sufficiency – Desiring everything in my life from business succession to ministry growth to family decisions to align with my vision, plan, and timing. The risk here is that instead of fully trusting God I am trusting my vision and plan. “Trust in the Lord with all of your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.” (Proverbs 3:5)
Reputation & Influence – Valuing the respect, recognition, and perception others have of you more than God’s quiet approval. The risk here is having my decisions subtly shaped by “how it will be received” rather than “is this what God is calling me to?” “For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? … If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ.” (Galatians 1:10)
Family & Security – Prioritizing the protection of family comfort, wealth, or lifestyle over the harder calls of obedience. The risk here is avoiding risky steps of faith because they might “disrupt” my family and what feels settled for this stage of my life. “Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me…” (Matthew 10:37)
Ministry as Identity – Deriving my joy or self-worth from how well our ministry is received, how big it grows, or how many leaders we influence. The risk here is that the work of God becomes a substitute for the presence of God. “Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken your first love.” (Revelation 2:4)
Challenge Question:
What important and good things in your life may be competing with Jesus for priority in your heart. If God took any of these things away tomorrow, how would your heart respond? Am I willing to put God in His proper place high above everything in my life?
I pray the Holy Spirit will give us the strength and power to identify and remove/reorder potential idols in our lives so we can receive the fullness of what God has for us and live “The life that is truly life” in Christ Jesus!