In 1964 four renegades with a bug’s name came to America from Liverpool, England. People went banana’s (wait, they went banana’s for the Monkees). If you’re not old enough to remember them or haven’t seen them on the History Channel, they were the Beatles… Paul, John, George, and Ringo.
What ever they did, others wanted to do as well. Some of you may remember those pointed toed boots that zipped up the sides called, Beatle Boots! People began growing their hair longer and some followed them right into the drug craze. Paul went on to be knighted, John was killed, George and Ringo had a couple of songs that did well.
Every era seems to have a person or group of people that the masses feel they should worship. It seems to the followers that these idols can do no wrong and what ever they do, the masses want to do. It doesn’t just apply to singers or movie stars either. It may be a newscaster, a neighbor, or the Pastor of a church.
In fact, as Christians we often times look at fellow Christians and place those we consider to be super Christians on pedestals. We believe they pray more and better than we do. We are sure they give more, love more, follow closer, and are just all around perfect Christians (I would challenge you to spend a couple of days with them… that should get you past your idolatry). We ultimately study their every move and try to be friends with them in hopes that some of their “superdom” rubs off on us!
There are some 254 references in the Bible concerning who to worship. There is approximately 223 references to idols or idolatry. You see, worship and idols are not just about movie stars and famous people. These two subjects cover just about every part of our lives. Let’s take money for instance… there are people who are so enamored with money that they spend all of their time chasing it. And, the more they get, the more they want. It is a never ending quest.
How about those that worship Angels? After all, the Angels were in the presence of God, right? It is true, they were in the presence of God and sang to Him day and night. In fact, when a person gets saved, the Bible says God and the Angels throw a party… Cool!
1 Corinthians 6:3 Do you not know that we will judge angels? How much more the things of this life!
Colossians 2:18 Do not let anyone who delights in false humility and the worship of angels disqualify you. Such a person also goes into great detail about what they have seen; they are puffed up with idle notions by their unspiritual mind.
Revelation 22:8-9 I, John, am the one who heard and saw these things. And when I had heard and seen them, I fell down to worship at the feet of the angel who had been showing them to me. 9 But he said to me, “Don’t do that! I am a fellow servant with you and with your fellow prophets and with all who keep the words of this scroll. Worship God!”
The Bible doesn’t say that we can’t like things. What it does say is don’t let those things get in the way of worshiping and loving the only one worthy of that worship. When we spend our time chasing after or trying to mimic things and people, we take our eyes off of Jesus and we get lost. In many cases non-believer’s choose not to follow Christ because they don’t know any better. They think that if they become a Christian, they have to be destitute, preachy, and downright weird.
God doesn’t say we are going to be broke (some of us are), have to do strange things and live in communes, or wear a suit and tie on Sunday mornings (it’s okay if you do… or if you don’t). What He says is, no matter what your situation, good or bad, rich or poor, don’t put anything or anyone before Him. Considering He made everything in the Universe and it is His power that holds it all together, that isn’t such a bad thing.
And, the fact that He created us to have a close and loving relationship with Him, and that He wants nothing but the absolute best for us, makes it pretty darn smart to have more faith in Him than ourselves or all of the riches we may have accumulated.
So, the next time you think about putting someone or something on a pedestal, remember who allowed them to be where they are! Who created them. Or ask yourself how much money will it take to buy your way into Heaven, or fill that God shaped hole in your heart that can only be relieved by the one who put it there.
If you are going to worship someone or something, do what the Angel in Revelation 22:9 said to do, “Worship God.”
