Day 3/21: Idolatry Unloaded

At the suggestion of a dear friend, I listened to a sermon today by a local Pittsburgh pastor, Rock Dillaman titled “Addiction or Devotion” that contained some serious Truth and insight into human behavior. The message was primarily about idolatry, where it exists in EACH of our lives, and how to overcome it.

Most of us don’t think idolatry is something we even need to be worried or concerned about falling into as we can’t remember the last time we bowed down to a large stone figure but idolatry is something that Pastor Rock stated EVERYONE, absolutely everyone, struggles (or has struggled in the past) with. He states, “We commit idolatry anytime we seek satisfaction from anything apart from God.” Wow. I think we all need to read that statement again: ANYTIME we seek satisfaction from anything APART from God, it’s IDOLATRY.

This is not to say that we will never receive satisfaction from things like our family, friends, intimacy, or seeing the Kingdom advance; however, it is when we seek satisfaction from any of these things APART from or INSTEAD of God that these things become “our God” and idolatry takes place.

Is this a little scarey to anyone else? I need to say that being Christians does not exempt us from committing idolatry- believing that God exists and receiving Christ doesn’t mean we will never look anywhere else for satisfaction- it simply means we no longer have to.

Dillaman points out that “most addiction is actually idolatry;” some of the most common things we seek to get satisfaction from (even as believers is) instead of from God are:

* Friends: Feeling liked, accepted, and safe.

* Food: Feeling complete, satisfied, and emotionally secure.

* Relationships/Sex: Feeling desired, worthy, loved.

* Social Media: Defining how we want others to see us or knowing how we are viewed by others.

* Possessions/Money: Feeling successful, stable, and worthy.

And the list goes on and on. The kicker is- none of these things are inherently evil,  but they are only poor substitutions for what it is we really desire. Dillaman says, “We are all created with deep longings for God, and when we attempt to meet that need with anything else we will constantly be disappointed by the diminished returns we receive and are always left wanting more.”

How true is this? No matter how much many friends we have, food we eat, cool gadgets we own, people we date, or degrees we earn, it will never be enough to give us what we really want. And here’s a thought that really made my head spin: Every desire we have can never be fulfilled apart from God. As Pastor Dillaman exclaimed, “The only thing that can truly THRILL YOUR SOUL is Jesus Christ- and if are seeking for ANYTHING else to do it- it’s idolatry.”

So, what’s the anectdote for this predisposition towards idolatry we all have? Devotion.

Many of us can already feel an aversion to that word as it has left us with less than satisfied high-hopes before but Dillaman shares that, “Devotion isn’t sinless perfection, but single allegiance…it’s a word of focus, not performance.”

As believers, we have to come to terms with the raw desires of our souls, realizing that it is not the adoration or love of others we seek, but the adoration, acceptance, and love of our Father. We must determine to be devoted to Him and Him alone and refuse to be MOMENTARILY satisfied by any poor substitution for Jesus.

So let us ask ourselves:

- What or who am I currently seeking satisfaction and fulfillment from?

- Why do I believe that they/it can satisfy me better than my Father?

- What beliefs about God do I need to ask the Holy Spirit to help me change and beliefs about myself do I need to bring to my Father?

Isn’t it great that God can handle our junk?

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