Discarding Idols

Today's readings: Ps 18:1-20, 147:12-20; Isaiah 2:5-22; 1 Thes 3:1-13; Luke 20:27-40

Isaiah is an Advent staple because it speaks vividly of preparing ourselves for what it is to come. Today’s passage speaks about the consequences of worshipping idols. Unlike Isaiah’s contemporaries, we probably don’t encounter many literal idols, or hand-crafted gods. However, Isaiah’s words about idols are still worth hearing today.

Isaiah’s people were constantly exposed to cultures who worshipped idols. Jews, whose God was unseen, were lured by the comfort of deities they could identify or even touch. We aren’t much concerned today that our Christian faith is threatened by golden calves, but we should be concerned about the power of man-made idols to stand between us and God.

For now, let’s define an idol to be anything we prioritize above God, if only fleetingly. We could list money, popularity, power, possessions, security, pride, comfort, etc. We may not actually worship these things as gods, but can we admit we are at least tempted to prioritize some of them before God? There’s nothing wrong with a nice car, lots of friends or a healthy 401k, but we must keep them in perspective. Taking an ethical stand in the workplace might cost us friends or a promotion, but we should not value those above our faith and principles. Such betrayals do more long-term damage to our spirits than any short-term gains are worth.

We should also be wary of idols disguised as faith. We don’t want to be like the pious man who shushed the beggar because she was interrupting his prayers to be more generous. Maybe we want to believe we have this Christian thing all sewn up because we can quote the Bible and avoid the right sins and study the right doctrine, as if reaching and maintaining some spiritual goal weight. If these things interfere with our ability to have a true relationship with God and with each other as Christ taught us, they have become idols. If God always thinks like we do, then we’ve made an idol of our ego and certainty. We can even make an idol of the Bible: some used it to justify African American slavery, clearly contrary to God’s love, and others use it to promote injustice even today.

Idols diminish our understanding of God. To prepare our hearts for Christ, we must empty them of idols. He will take up all the space we can offer!

Comfort: If our heart is empty of idols, God will find many ways to fill it.

Challenge: For the rest of the week, pray to recognize your idols.

Prayer: God of Hope, help me clear away my idols to make room for you.

Evening readings: Ps 126, 62

Tomorrow's readings: Ps 102, 148; Isa 3:1-4:1; 1 Thes 4:1-12; Luke 20:41-21:4