For whom do you work? If it is not for the Lord, then for whom? Is the master of your soul He who redeems, who sets forth future and protection? For all serve to this end, but to whom? My people break faith to empty idols, lifeless faces promising ease and blessing, but these do not know blessing nor breath. It is not of the ancients alone who are deceived, but even greater the current day. Peace and security is the promised cry of unmoving lips. Valuless treasure and the fleeting honor of men follow its daily call. Hunger unsatisfied by its piling, and fear of its loss a daily march. The worship of idols remains in large, abhorrent to the Lord, for it’s great weight on the shoulders of even My own. The downward pull of the upward promise. False as a chain of freedom. Destructive as the embrace of the seductrice. You who are My own, do not work for the mute and unblinking, but for He who calls and sees the heart. Turn away from the empty gathering, for he who serves mammon will be mastered by a growing void, but he who works as a servant, pleasing My eyes, it is he who will be filled. The toil of the wicked is forever unfinished, but he who turns from idols, will find rest. Contentment is of the wise of God, for his Master is already his reward.
Psalm 135:15-17 (ESV) – The idols of the nations are silver and gold, the work of human hands. They have mouths, but do not speak; they have eyes, but do not see; they have ears, but do not hear, nor is there any breath in their mouths
Isaiah 2:8 (ESV) – Their land is filled with idols; they bow down to the work of their hands, to what their own fingers have made.
Matthew 6:24 (ESV) – “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.
1 John 2:15-17 (ESV) – Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world. And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.
Colossians 3:23-24 (ESV) – Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ.
Bottom Line: We generally don’t think of ourselves as being tempted by idol worship. Seems like an old sin that is for people of past ages. Nothing could be farther from the truth. An idol, in God’s eyes, is anything we put ahead of Him, and serve in exchange for provision, protection and peace of mind, all of which God offers and promises to those who serve Him alone. So, who is the unthinking, unblinking idol we serve today? He (it) goes by many names . . . and promises the same things as the idols of old. The bible calls it, “mammon”, or worldly riches. Our more modern titles are wealth, affluence or financial independence. All are designations for an idol that we can find ourselves working for and serving every day, all our lives. This, in the place of our Creator who created us to serve Him. It’s a fine and very, very well-camouflaged line for today’s Christian.
Our homework? We all know we must work for a living, but we must be very careful not to live for what our work is providing. Define clearly for ourselves the difference, and steer clear of serving the idol.
