concerning lesser gods

Idolatry is dead, that line in the Ten Commandments does not apply to modern life, who bows down to images of wood and stone?  That form of idolatry is certainly dead in the modern world, but the heart of man must worship something so the ancient prohibitions are as needed today as when Moses carried them down the mountain.

No other gods?  That should be easy!  What has come of Molech and Zeus after all?  But gods need bear no formal name nor have any priest but one fanatic heart.  What are your gods?  Money, chocolate, football, your kids, social media, the TV?  Anything that takes our time and interest and zeal away from God has the potential to be a modern idol.  All of these things can be very good, but we must be cautious that they do not become our Ultimate Good, the reason we live and breath and have our being,  God has given us many wonderful things to enjoy and do whilst we abide on this mortal earth, but our utmost devotion belongs to Him alone.

Sometimes it takes losing something to realize how important we have made it.  I wonder if this is not a reason fasting is considered an important, though oft overlooked, Christian discipline.  It is not just food, but almost anything that we enjoy (perhaps too much) or that takes up too much of our time from which we might abstain for a time that we might thereby grow closer to God.  This was undoubtedly easier before smart phones.  We have not had TV in the house for many years and I do not miss it.  It is amazing how much more time there is for conversation, reading, and games and yet we seem to miss nothing by not having the TV on.  What started as an economical decision (highly spiritual!), has become a way of life, but this is not what inspired these somber reflections.

I have known for a time that my job was on shaky ground and now it is gone.  I little realized how much time, effort, and importance I had put into my career until my permanent vacation!  I felt as if someone had died, there was a huge hole in my life...idols...hmmm...interesting.  It is strange how we cannot see clearly until we have come through something and look back from a distance and only then do we understand.  I suppose that is why God is so persistent in his demands that we look to and trust Him alone for strength and guidance, for He is the only One that knows all ends.  I knew where my career was going, or thought I did, but now I have no idea what comes next, but He does.  It was not an intentional or even a welcome 'fast' but it was probably needed.  Where to next?  I had better ask the One who knows the way!  At least now I can catch up on my soap operas.