Not sure if success may be your favorite idol? Learn more from this article I wrote for iBelieve.com. Start reading here and then click to continue on their site.
When I traveled to Israel, I visited the famous Israel Museum where I saw many examples of idols. Molded bronze images. Carved wooden figurines. Statues of fertility goddesses. Even though God had commanded the Israelites, “You shall have no other gods before me. You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth” (Exodus 20:3-4), God’s people often disobeyed. And we wonder: How could they worship an inanimate object—something so obviously lifeless?
We may not bow down to statues or figurines, yet our culture has its own idols. A counterfeit god doesn’t have to be made of bronze or wood to become an object of worship. Martin Luther said, “Whatever your heart clings to and confides in, that is really your God, your functional savior.” An idol is anything that captures our hearts, anything that becomes more important than God.
Using this definition, we can see that modern idols might include 3000-square-foot houses or big-screen TVs. Our culture sometimes worships social standing or advanced degrees. Instead of inanimate statues, we might put our favorite sports teams or entertainers up on pedestals.
The Idol of Success
Another common modern idol is the god of success. Our culture tends to worship the winners. It idolizes wealth and fame. It places achievement and accomplishment above all else.
You might not recognize this man-made god in your life, but here are three reasons why success may be your favorite idol.
Reason Number One
We live in a success-worshiping world. People would think us very strange if we bowed down to a golden statue, but they applaud those who pursue success at all costs. Books about achieving success sell millions of copies. People flock to movies about the person who makes it big after years of struggle because it makes them believe someday that can be their story, too. We even have awards shows for the biggest successes in entertainment and present little statues to the stars. Success is an acceptable idol in the eyes of the world.
Discover two more reasons why success may be your favorite idol at iBelieve.com. You will also learn three suggestions for overcoming any success-worshiping tendencies you may have.
You can learn more about a biblical view of success in my new book, Measured by Grace: How God Defines Success. If you’ve ever felt like your life is a mess or that it’s too small to make any difference, read how God defines success!
This book studies eight “failures” in the Bible–people who either made a big mess of their lives or simply didn’t look like a success in the eyes of the world. By examining their lives you’ll discover that God redeems our failures and doesn’t measure us by wealth or fame. He measures us by His grace! You can find out more about this eight-week Bible study book and download a FREE chapter here.
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