110207

November 2, 2007

The Vanity of Idols

by Shana Schutte

Have you ever thought that if you could just have something, or someone else, that you could be more satisfied than you are with God? Have you ever wondered if another love or desire could take His place?

I would be lying if I said those thoughts haven't ever crossed my mind. Early in my Christian walk, when I felt disappointed, the temptation to replace Him with a lesser love tugged on my heart. I think we can be tempted by Satan many times throughout life to run away from God--whether we are happy or sad; but I believe we are especially vulnerable when we're disappointed or our hearts are broken. It's just like a wife who may be tempted to cheat when she believes her husband isn't meeting her needs.

According to the Old Testament Word Study Bible, the word "idol" in the NIV means emptiness or vanity. I find the definition interesting, because there is often something within us that wants to say that our idols are at least "something-ess"? We might think, Sure, they don't offer much, but I think they give me something of value.

God has a different idea.

In Psalm 16:1-2, David was convinced that apart from God, he had nothing of value. He understood that idols can never fulfill us.

You might be wondering what an idol is. It doesn't have to be an icon or an object placed on a bookshelf. In his book, the Ragamuffin Gospel, Brennan Manning explains that idols take many forms:

"I can be addicted to vodka or to being nice, to marijuana or being loved, to cocaine or being right, to gambling or relationships, to golf or gossip. Perhaps my addiction is food, performance, money, popularity, power, revenge, reading, television, tobacco, weight or winning. When we give anything more priority than we give God, we commit adultery."

If there is anything in your life that you believe can do more for you than Christ, think again--and take the advice of David. There is nothing as good as knowing Him.

www.runtogodministries.org

run to god

m i n i s t r i e s

"The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is upon me because

he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted."

---Jesus

a daily reflection