Modern Idolatry: What Has Taken God's Place?
- meetgodattheedgeof
- 21 hours ago
- 3 min read
Colossians 3:5-7
[5] So put to death the sinful, earthly things lurking within you. Have nothing to do with sexual immorality, impurity, lust, and evil desires. Don’t be greedy, for a greedy person is an idolater, worshiping the things of this world. [6] Because of these sins, the anger of God is coming. [7] You used to do these things when your life was still part of this world.
I remember a time when I thought idol worship was an ancient thing pagans did. Bowing down to a hand-carved or molded statue someone had just made never made sense to me. I thought, "They probably watched him carve the darn thing, and now they're bowing down and asking it to answer their prayers?" What?! I don't get it.
As silly as that sounds, modern idolatry in today's world—and even in the church—is rampant.
Idolatry today isn't usually carved out of wood or stone. It's the pursuits, desires, and values that slowly take the place of God in our hearts and lives.
How did we get here?
Well, it's actually pretty easy, just like most sin. It starts with compromising on what we already know to be true. Then that compromise turns into a slippery slope of justification. We know what the Word of God says, but we begin to blur the lines in our minds.
For example, our identity is solely defined by who God says we are. Yet seeking likes, followers, and approval through social media has become modern idolatry for many people. It can be justified as networking or platform building, but sometimes the truth runs much deeper. The desperate need for validation and the idolization of other people's approval are often disguised as good things. On the surface they're easy to rationalize, but we're called to dig deep and ask the Lord to reveal our true motives.
Another example is comfort. We justify it as "self-care" or "decompressing." Excessive scrolling or binge-watching becomes our escape after a hard day. But the truth is that lasting relief from this world is found in time spent with our Heavenly Father. If we place anything else in that position, we're choosing it over the Lord.
Choosing comfort over fellowship.
Choosing comfort over helping others.
Choosing comfort over sharing your testimony.
These are all ways we can unknowingly place ourselves before God.
A buddy of mine also pointed out how easy it is to idolize the sexual content found in TV shows and movies. We begin to seek it out, allowing it to shape our view of love, fulfillment, and even our own self-worth. If we're honest, it's becoming increasingly difficult to find entertainment that doesn't stir sinful desires. Sometimes just a single glance at immodesty can send a man down a destructive path if he doesn't immediately flee.
God wants us to completely eliminate idolatry from our hearts and lives by recognizing it, repenting of it, and actively replacing it with wholehearted devotion to Him. Modern idolatry often hides behind things that seem harmless, which is why He is calling each of us to examine our hearts and ask what has quietly taken His rightful place.
As it says in 1 Corinthians 10:14, "So, my dear friends, flee from the worship of idols."
It's time to flee!
Thank you, Father, for one more day. Amen.
Matthew 6:19-21
[19] “Don’t store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal. [20] Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal. [21] Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be.
