Idol Smashing

One could argue that idolatry is the root of all sin. The very act of placing something above God, even if that thing is very good and created by God, fundamentally disrupts the created order and causes harm. The worship of other gods is the first of the Ten Commandments for a reason as it is the foundation of the other. 

In many ways I think that the ancient world was far smarter than we are. They looked at all the different aspects of life and assigned gods and goddesses to them for worship. They knew, while we often deny, that they were worshipping things like sex, money, power, violence, and so on. So, they named the deities and erected temples and altars in their honor. There was no pretense that they were doing anything different.

We are just as idolatrous and pagan as the Romans, Canaanites, and Egyptians ever were. The big difference is that we refuse to acknowledge it. As a society in general we like to avoid "religious" trappings anywhere we find them. This is true even in many churches where "religion" and "religious" are often seen as negative terms. "It's not religion, it's relationship" being a slogan that popularizes this.

All this avoiding of religiosity is simply a veneer that belies the fact that we are just as wrapped up in worship and idolatry as we have ever been. We are just as prone to worship and sacrifice to the "gods" as ever, we just don't call it that. This is true whether we are Christian or not, and since we refuse to acknowledge idolatry as a rule it means that many Christians are probably unaware they do it.

It all comes down to the term "worship." Nowadays we have a very narrow definition of worship that doesn't really fit the full meaning of the term as used in Scripture. We generally conflate "worship" with a related term "praise," even though they are different things. When we refer to worship we almost universally are referring to praise.

Think of a standard, evangelical style worship service regardless of whether you are acapella, contemporary, traditional, or full on rock concert. It is full of songs of praise and that is the part we generally consider "worship." At church camps "worship time," at least in my experience, exclusively means singing which is praise. 

This conflation of worship and praise makes it hard to recognize when we are worshipping idols. We typically don't go around singing the praises of money or sex or power and so we assume we aren't worshipping them. Just because you aren't constantly singing the praises of something doesn't mean you aren't worshipping it.

While worship most definitely includes praise, that is far from the full picture. In Greek the word "worship" means to "bow down before, to completely submit to and depend on for life." True worship, in the fullest sense, means to conform your life to the standards, priorities, and the pursuit of something/someone. You quite literally submit your life to whatever it is and let it shape who you are.

What do you allow to shape your life? What shapes your attitude and mindset? What do you pursue in your life? Where do you get your priorities and standards from? Do you even try to make God and Jesus Christ conform to the idols you worship?

These are tough questions, particularly that last one. Because we worship idols and allow them to shape our lives and perceptions, we even allow them to shape the way we look at Jesus and read the Bible. This is usually done unconsciously to syncretize these two things that simply cannot go together. It usually ends up changing Jesus into someone who enables our worship of other things while we think we are worshipping him.

This naturally leads to entire theologies and movements that appear to be grounded in Jesus Christ but aren't. Some we recognize, like the "Prosperity Gospel," but others are difficult to see. Many Christians in America now have essentially melded their Christianity with their Republican politics and don't see the problem, while others do the same on the other side. Many Christians pursue idols such as marriage, family, safety, and so on all the while thinking they are actually pursuing God's will. While some of these things are God-given gifts when we value the gift more than the One who gave it we fall into idolatry.

Rooting out and smashing our idols is a painful, hard, and time-consuming process. It takes constant vigilance, renewal, and repentance. This is something that I believe can only truly be done in the context of the community of God's people, though it starts with your heart. Praise be to God that he isn't content to leave us in worship to harmful, lesser things but is always striving with us to shape our hearts and free us from sin.

I encourage you to constantly smash the idols in your life. Be like King Josiah who tore down the high places and rooted out idol worship. Let's call a lot of the obsessions and hysterias of the day what they are, the worship of other gods. Why do people, including Christians, get so angry and defensive over politics? Because that is what they worship. While we cannot control what others do, through constant prayer and fasting repent and worship God. Let him shape your life and priorities as you submit to his rule.