Idols Entrap Me

I heard a sermon by the pastor of Mars Hill Seattle. He likened addiction to idolatry. My former notion of idols was giving a greater devotion to something than one give to God. As I understood, he illustrated that it also includes having a relationship with something that you should be having with God. An example of this might be having a relationship with food so that it gives you comfort and security, a relationship that should exist with God instead. This could lead to food addiction, but according to him, it starts with idolatry.

An important thing that he said was that an idol always lies. With food, the feeling is that it will make you happy, fulfill you, comfort you, possibly complete you, but what it does at its extreme is bring obesity, heart disease, guilt, diabetes, and dependance.

I just want to stop and think about which idols are lying to me regularly. Whether or not I act upon them, these lies barrage me. If I don’t identify them outright I become used to them and forget why they are lies.

Lie: If I seek and receive other peoples justification, I will be and feel valuable

Truth: If I seek and receive other peoples justification without self-esteem , I will be left wanting, disappointed

Lie: If I had the right clothes or look, I will feel good, desirable, valuable

Truth: I will be constantly seeking something that doesn’t exist, and be owned by my clothes

Lie: If I make something really great, I will have meaning and purpose

Truth: I will feel nice for a short time and then be exactly where I started

Lie: If I watch such and such show, I will be happy and forget my struggles

Truth: The problems will be right there all along, and there is a better way to address struggles.