Christian Living

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Remember when Moses was meeting with God on Mt. Sinai, the Israelites got impatient and restless in waiting on Moses to return? You know how the story goes, the people convinced Aaron to make a golden calf for the people to worship. (Exodus 32) Now we look at this story or maybe we see this portrayed in the popular Ten Commandments movie and we shake our heads to the silliness of this. A golden cow? Give me a break! Could they have been that foolish to start worshiping a calf? As silly as it appears to be, idle hands often open the opportunity for idols to be created.

At first this may strike us funny until we see the things that we make idols in our life. It may not be a golden image that we physically bow down to three times a day but they become idols just the same. It’s not just in the physical but the heart of where our real desire is.

On Mission Sunday we will often boost our offerings for missions in third world countries and cry tears on behalf of others who aren’t as fortunate as we are. We see them as desperate but what if they were brought to America and given the same opportunities we have? Could they resist the idols in our culture? What if the situation was reversed? Would we survive if we had to swap with them? Could we let go of our idols and trust God totally?

What are the American idols in our world?

FAME
The craze right now is the television show called American Idol with millions of viewers tuning in weekly to the drama of contestants competing for their moment of fame. Fame is a double-edged sword. The famous people at the moment aren’t guaranteed to be that in the next. Fame is also fleeting. Someone in Hollywood might rise up to become famous for their acting, singing, looks, etc. but a funny thing happens with time and popularity. The public tends to turn against their object of affection. A person who was worshipped one year, may be the subject of backlash the next year.

Do we really want to be popular with man or God? (John 14:42-43) Who cares what the poll says as long as we care what God thinks about us? He’s the judge. Our eternity won’t be based on the opinions of Randy, Paula and Simon from the TV show or the popularity vote of the public; it will be God’s judgment for all of us. We must realize that any fame in this life is very small and insignificant in comparison to eternity. I would prefer to be Heavenly famous and an earthly unknown.

MONEY
Who wants to be a millionaire? We think that if we could only win the lottery then it would solve all of our problems. Money. We think the more we have, the better life will be for us. I found it interesting that in a recent interview, Ted Turner was asked if money buys happiness. He responded by saying in his southern drawl: "There’s two things money can’t buy - happiness and loyalty. You can’t enjoy it because you wonder if people are your friends because of you or because of your money." This was interesting coming from a man who is a cable television guru. Ted Turner knows from experience that money is nice but it doesn’t make him happy.

We have preachers in pulpits enticing congregations with sermons of claim to wealth and using God to hit a financial lottery. God doesn’t have a problem with us having money but money can easily become a distraction for us. (1Tim. 6:10) When we start looking at money as the answer instead of God then we get into trouble.

JOB
It’s sad that people use their job title as their identity. We are a people that get a personal satisfaction from our jobs rather than who we are in Christ. (Psalm 84:10) When this life is over, I doubt anyone will wish they had spent more time at the office. Sadly, that’s where many are spending their time. There’s nothing wrong with a job. We have to work in order to live but there is an extreme many surpass. If life is but a vapor, a job is less than that.

The truth is that you and I can be replaced. We might think that we can’t be replaced, but if something unfortunate happens to us, the boss will put an advertisement in the newspaper and hire someone else to replace us. I’ve seen people who I thought would always be employed but a disabling injury forced them into an expected retirement. None of us are guaranteed anything. A job title is not who you are.

SEX
Our society is so obsessed with sex appeal. There are sexual innuendos in many things we see. You can’t escape it from the radio, television, music, magazines and even billboards on the highways. There’s a lot made about sex when, in reality, there’s much more to a person than the physical. Whether we want to admit it or not, our physical appearance is temporary. (Psalm 59:5) We are all getting older. None of us are getting any younger. This is the curse of sin caused by Adam’s fall in the garden. Sometimes there is a tendency for people to go through a "mid-life" crisis. We realize we are no longer the young person we once were. We must realize that it’s not about the looks. It’s about the heart.

None of these American idols will bring peace or happiness. There’s only one guarantee for peace and happiness. The Bible tells us that God sent us that guarantee in the form of His Son, Jesus Christ. If we believe on Him, we will have peace and everlasting life. It’s difficult for us to grasp this since this isn’t something tangible that we can physically put our hands on but that doesn’t change this eternal truth. What does it take for this everlasting life?

Money?

Fame?

None of these. It is all in BELIEF. Don’t build your life around these things. Let your life be Jesus Christ. The 70-80 years we have in this life isn’t all there is to it. Life truly begins when you accept Christ as Lord of your life. You don’t need any idols. There’s no room for them. Let your performance in this life be for Him.

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