His story 12: Idols

Apart from the fact that there can only be one truth, let us look at why it is harmful to worhip gods that are not God.
In the bible God revealed himself to Abraham as “I AM”. Which basicly means “He who was, He who is and He who will be.”
The hebrew for this is JAHWEH.
This is the God I want to propose to you to be the only God.
(So technically I am a christian. However I prefer to avoid this word “christian” and use the word “believer” instead because of the negative connotation it has for many. Understandably.)

Abraham and his family and race worshiped other gods just like the whole world did.
Idols made of wood or stone, laid over with silver and gold and other precious ornaments.
These gods were made by people.
Do you see the connection with the gods that I described before?
The god of taking value from our own accomplishments.
The work of our own hands just as these gods were.
Attainments that have their source in the ability that was given to us.
Yet giving ourselves credit for these things like we generated that ability ourselves. Not honoring the Giver.
It really is the same as worshiping other gods.
The only difference was that they gave those gods names so they could be identified.
We on the other hand often do not recognize our gods.
But giving credit to ourselves for what comes from God, our Maker, is really the same as worhiping idols that are made by people.
Or worshiping other parts of the same creation that we are part of.
Like the sun and the stars.
We are basicly worshiping ourselves if we do that.
Now that sounds terrible because no one wants to worship one self.
Or do we?
To worship basicly means to elevate.
It is supposed to be an expression of love to our Maker.
Submission to him by elevating him above us comes from a heart that loves God and is not some sort of slavish activity.
God does not consider outward expressions as worship if our heart is not in it.
At the same time we can worship God without it being recognized by others as such because they do not see our heart and motivation for the things that we do.
Perhaps that is why we can even deceive ourselves when it comes to who we worship.
We tend to look at things from how they appear, without realising the heart that is behind it.
Yet we elevate ourselves to the place of God if we do not acknowledge him as our source.
This may seem harmless to some, but it is more destructive then we realise.
Why?
Because another god is another master.

God is the only master in the spiritual realm we can have that has always our good in mind.
When we do not submit to him we submit ourselves to another. Even other people.
People tend to be whimsical though, approving of someone one time yet rejecting them in an instant if they do or say something that does not please them.
Like those neighbours that have always been kind to us.
Until you ask them to tone down the noise they make in the hallway.
All of a sudden they get mad and do not give us one kind word any more afterward. Forever they now consider you their enemy.
While all you did was making one request.
People can be whimsical like that.
Of course behind that lies their own feelings of rejection.
Assuming you do not like them anymore because you had one point of critic towards them.
And like I mentioned before, the root of that kind of feelings of being rejected often comes from not knowing the love of our heavenly Father.
The one that loves us all the time and certainly will correct us when needed but will never tone down his love towards us when He does that.
We just often think He does, and that is also how we treath others many times.
No wonder we are whimsical.
Yet that means that if we subject ourselves to each other for approval we are submitting ourselves to cruel “lovers”.
Since it is only God that gives value, we now have replaced him by “gods” that are not stable and trustworthy the way He is.
Now we never know if we will be accepted.
We never dare to be truly ourselves out of fear not to be accepted by others.
After all, what if they do not like us?
It would make us feel worthless.
That is the result of not submitting to God as our only god.
And not having other gods on the side.
So even believers are often in bondage because they still have “affairs” (spiritual speaking) by looking to people to validate them.
While only the true God can give us value and thankfully always does.