How Should A Believer Deal With Ongoing Struggles With Idolatry?
Q: I’ve been struggling with idolatry since I’m saved. I find it almost impossible not to idolize one thing, like work or family, a hobby, my body, going to the gym, my phone, money, even influencers. What should I do about it?
A: First of all, God bless you for recognizing it. The worst kind of idolatry is idolatry that goes unrecognized. The fact that you recognize your liability to idolatry, and you’re aware of it and are convicted about it, is a huge positive step. It is fantastic that you’re sensitive to it. I think there are a lot of Christians who are guilty of some pretty gnarly idolatry that they never recognize or deal with. So, praise the Lord that you recognize it.
So, what do you do about this? Get ruthless about challenging those things that are idols. If somebody makes an idol out of food, they should introduce fasting as a regular part of their life. If they make an idol out of their phone, they should set aside a day of the week when they don’t touch their phone. It’s important to confront these things and learn how to say “No” to your flesh when it desires these things and wants to place too high a value on them.
Now, we need to be wary of thinking that just because we like something, it must be an idol. From time to time, do a little check. Ask God to teach you on this, to guide you in this, and to give you wisdom. It is possible for a person to think that just because they like something or enjoy something, it must be an idol. But that is not necessarily the case. God gives us good things in this world to enjoy and many blessings to receive. We can and should receive them and walk in them without making them into idols.
At the end of his first letter, John adds a provocative statement as his final word.
1 John 5:21 – Little children, keep yourselves from idols. Amen.
He’s speaking to Christians and warning them about the problem of idolatry. This may be something that all of us need to spend a little bit of time seeking the Lord about. I wonder how many people heard this question and said, “I don’t have aproblem with idols. Boy, I’m glad that’s not me.” Maybe we all need to spend a little more time thinking about that and asking the Lord to redirect our focus onto Him.