Engine Idol

I was listening to a podcast of Bob Rowland, Pastor of something or other at our church. I know he has something to do with family and parenting. Anyway, he was describing how good we are at making idols. He even described us as being idol factories. And that idols require sacrifice.

I think, typically when we look at idols, the calf, the Sphinx, even Greg Brady's Hawaiian necklace comes to mind. But if we dig a little deeper we may see images of work, status, our children's success, even position in the church.

But what idols really drive us. Push us towards things that become in the place of God.

God made it pretty clear to Moses and everybody that we shouldn't have any other things in His place. His first place. And yet we put things there.

I believe that our deep drivers. The real engines that push us (well surely me) toward idol worship are things like acceptance, affirmation, or demanded respect. And our idols build from there. They then move on to take the forms of the idols we are familiar with—the ones we point our fingers at.

1. Dad spends way too much time at the virtual office, let alone at the brick and mortar venue because he wouldn't want to be viewed as lazy.
2. Mom spends too much time planning the kids schedule because she wouldn't want her kids not competing and doing as everyone else.
3. Johnny spends too much time online because he can find more interest—a more provoking life—online than offline.
4. Mary spends too much time in front of the mirror because she doesn't want her classmates to see her as ugly.
5. Bill checks another item off of his list of "things to make me a good Christian" because it will put his mind at ease that he was ogling Glen's wife.
6. Etc., etc.

And these things are easy to point our fingers at. We see these so much in others. And condemn the surface idol*. I believe the "what" becomes the issue. The thing we need to "change" or simply put a band-aid on. And the "why" is not addressed. Ergo the next idol brewing.

What are the engines for our idols? And what do we sacrifice to keep them running? And have we asked why?


*Clearly there are some idols which need to be addressed for their own sake. But the deep-rooted idol needs the attention as well.