So, I was reading in Habakkuk the other day (cruisin’ for a bruisin’… Habakkuk can get real intense…) when I stumbled upon this little gem of a verse:
18 “Of what value is an idol carved by a craftsman?
Or an image that teaches lies?
For the one who makes it trusts in his own creation;
he makes idols that cannot speak.
19 Woe to him who says to wood, ‘Come to life!’
Or to lifeless stone, ‘Wake up!’
Can it give guidance?
It is covered with gold and silver;
there is no breath in it.” (Habakkuk 2:18-19)
And I thought to myself… 1) What kind of Cray-Cray is running around telling inanimate objects to “wake-the-heck-up”? 2) Why is said, Cray-Cray making these idols in the first place? and 3) Gold and silver don’t breathe, obviously. Thanks for the update, God, but I think I got this one figured…why even include this stuff in the first place?
And then I read the next verse:
20 The LORD is in his holy temple;
let all the earth be silent before him.
It made me pause and wonder how much this verse actually has to do with inanimate objects walking and talking... maybe it has more to do with my heart and my inclination to put my trust in those objects. Maybe it has more to do with me putting my trust in God, my Creator, rather than in created things. An idol is anything or anyone that we put in place of God. An idol can be your significant other, your dog, your wardrobe, your best friend, your academics, anything really. The dangerous thing about idols is that creation was not made to be worshipped.
Okay, friends, it’s time for a confession. Last night, I spent 2 full hours on Pinterest.
Two. Hours.
What was I doing? Perfecting my wardrobe? Looking up sweet, but totally-not-as-easy-as-it-looks crafts? Planning my sister’s wedding? Putting together a virtual cookbook?
Um. No….
I was making a Christmas list and daydreaming about who I would be if I had all those pretty things. The clothes, the jewelry, and the hammock bed with DIY twinkle lights built in. I would be cute and wonderful, and everyone would want to be my friend and re-pin my life as their own! (Don't judge... you know you've been there too...) It was like I wasn’t satisfied with what I have now. I wanted my life covered in gold and silver. I wanted this virtual life to be alive- to be real.
Question: What’s the difference between the way I was treating my self-created, fake, inanimate dream life and the way the people worshipped the idols described in Habakkuk?
Answer: There isn’t one.
Here I was, trying to turn this virtual life into reality. Into something that can move and breathe and live. I wanted it to “wake-the-heck-up” and embrace me. Why? Because I put it together. I created it. That’s the nasty part about idolizing things, you make them and you get this great feeling because it’s your creation. Then it fails you. Like the verse above says, this perfect version of myself won’t give me guidance or wisdom. It can’t even breathe. This idol image of myself I’ve been serving isn’t real. It’s a false hope, a lie.
But here’s the super cool part, God is real. And what’s more, He’s alive and at work in me. Pinterest isn’t the least bit deserving of my worship. Only Jesus is.
God gives us every breath and Christ has given us the free gift of eternal life through faith in Him. He actually takes away all that we were and transforms us as we walk with Him and learn from His Word. He re-creates us. Those verses actually have way more meaning for my life than I thought. Now, I’m not saying Pinterest is evil or that I will stop pinning altogether. Because this post is not about that. It’s about how I idolized myself. It’s about the state of my heart. King David says in Psalm 51:17 “17My sacrifice, O God, is a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart you, God, will not despise.”
A broken Spirit. A contrite Heart. God wants us to realize our deep need for Him.
Jesus wiped my slate clean and continues to do so every day. He died for my sins. Because He wanted to have a relationship with me. Because He loves me. The Lord doesn’t want this perfect version of myself. He wants me, and you, broken. Because when we’re in shambles, He is the only One able to put us back together. Perfectly. One little piece at a time. Created in His image and for His glory. We were created in the image of our Creator, thats why He is the only One who can sustain us!
Can I get an Amen?
It’s time for me to stop idolizing something fake and worthless. It’s time to start worshipping Christ for His constant forgiveness, His unconditional love. It’s time to be silent so I can listen to what is real- the Lord.
Here’s the thing, friends. I can say all these fancy words, but if I don’t actively stop idolizing this “fake-me” and experience a change of heart, it’s all useless. A great theologian, John Calvin, once said, "From this we may gather that man's nature, so to speak, is a perpetual factory of idols." Our sinful hearts naturally create idols, so we must actively fight back. We have to smash every idol that is fighting for first place in our hearts, the place only Jesus deserves. I don’t know where you are spiritually or what your past has been, but I do know what kind of future you can have. I ask that you try this Jesus-thing. Take some time to pray to God, listen, and read the Bible for what God is actually saying. Look at the things or people in your life that you might be idolizing, and ask yourself a few questions:
What am I worshipping? Often our idols are exposed by where we spend our time and money.
What person or things are you placing your identity in? Remember, only our Creator can name us. Our identity is secure only when it is found in Him.
What are you giving your life to? Does it have eternal purpose?
Where are you placing your hope? What makes you happy? What makes you angry or depressed? Idoloatry is misplaced hope and will always dissapoint.
Can your idol give you wisdom, guidance, and eternal life? Is it alive? Is it real?
Does it, he, or she love you as much as the God who created you does?
The good news is that the solution to idolatry is repentance. Repentance means to turn away from something sinful, and to turn towards Jesus for forgiveness. Let’s repent of our idols by confessing them to God and asking Him to help us tear them down. Do it now if you need to. This blog will be here when you get back!
Written by Karly Eaton of Chi Omega.
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