Idolatry

Summary

I once knew a college student whose idol was reason and logic. He loved the life of his own mind, the way his brain could dance and leap from one idea to another idea. In a split second, he could spot the flaw in someone else’s argument and tear it to shreds. He loved smashing other people’s ideas to smithereens. Intellectual combat was his favorite sport, giving him joy surpassing anything the NBA or NFL could offer. True, he professed to be a follower of Jesus, but his real god—his real idol—was his own brain. What he worshiped most often, sometimes even at church, was not the God of the Bible, but the capabilities of his own mind. That is what he trusted. That is what he revered.

I once knew a middle-aged woman whose idol was her own family. Yes, she went to church and did everything good Christian people are supposed to do. But her real god was family life, particularly her two children and her husband. She listened to the daily broadcast of Focus on the Family. She consumed books on marriage and family life. What she craved more than anything else to have a perfect family. In this perfect family she and her husband would never disagree but would always be in sync with each other. In this perfect family her two children would always be obedient and respectful, would always get good grades, and would learn to play the violin and piano with finesse. What she worshiped was this cherished image of the perfect family. In it she trusted. To it she looked for her happiness.