READ: Daniel 3:1-8
Most people conjure up certain images when thinking of idols. We think of golden statues and stone-chiseled images with adoring people bowing before them. Sure, that may exist, but it’s only a microscopic fraction of idol worship. “Idols” aren’t always statues of random animals or deities prepared with precious metals and gemstones. Idolatry goes so much further than that.
An idol is anything that you position before God. It can be a person, hobby, activity, or project that steals the majority of your attention and affection. This can be a relationship, a career path, a sport, a musical artist, social media, or even your own reflection in the mirror. Idols are seldom bad things that corrupt you. They’re usually just good things that consume you.
At the beginning of Daniel 3, Nebuchadnezzar decides to order a custom-built statue. This thing was mammoth at 90-feet high and nine-feet wide. Many people believe this statue was actually an image of the crooked king himself. This is like the person who makes their lock screen a picture of themselves, only a few hundred times worse. As if that wasn’t narcissistic enough, he mandated that everyone in the nation bow down before the newly-minted idol.
We can all be like Nebuchadnezzar. No, you aren’t going to build a statue of yourself out of gold. However, we often build a statue of ourselves within our own hearts. We act selfishly. We put our needs before those of others. We view every experience through the lens of how it affects us. If we aren’t careful, we can build an idol of ourselves.
Idolatry prevents you from celebrating someone else’s success due to your jealousy. Idolatry makes you focus on building the biggest platform possible. Idolatry makes you count every single penny as if it’s a metric of your worth. Idolatry makes you use people instead loving them.
When you put anything before God, it leads to idolatry. When you put God over everything, it leads to victory. Make God your priority. Refuse to bow before idols, even if the idol is yourself.