When anything of this world becomes more important to us than God, we are engaging in idolatry. It distracts us from developing a personal relationship with Christ and it reveals our true heart. Idolatry comes in many forms, but one example is when we lift celebrities and place them on a pedestal, giving them permission to act as though they are godlike, idols in fact. This reaction to celebrities encourages them to think they are more important than they really are. It produces arrogant and prideful behavior. We encourage their behavior by spending our hard-earned money on the products they produce. How many deserve our continued support? Our support encourages more of the same behavior. We empower them. Once we empower them, Satan uses them to influence us. They can’t wait to share their opinion on anything and everything, and quite frankly, we can’t wait to hear it. They think they know everything from how to run the country to what religious belief we should all embrace. When celebrities use their popularity to influence how we think, we should be especially cautious.
Now let’s get real. There’s nothing wrong with enjoying the things of this world. Matter of fact, God blesses us with the things of this world to enjoy. We can enjoy the sports and the athletes, the music and the artists, the movies and the actors. The problem comes when we allow the things of this world to become more important to us than God. When it’s easier to say we love the things of this world, than it is to say we love God, we have a spiritual problem.
If you want insight into whether you’ve allowed Satan and the things of this world to take God’s place in your heart, answer these questions. How much time a day, a week or a month do you spend on the computer, phone, or watching TV? In comparison, how much time a day, a week or a month do you spend with God? How much time do you dedicate to spiritual development, reading and studying the Bible? How much time do you spend praying or just talking with God? How much time do you spend just being quiet with God? What do you conclude from your answers? The Good News is it’s never too late. Start making better use of your time. Start spending more time with God.
Galatians 5:19–21 (NLT) says, “When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, the results are very clear: sexual immorality, impurity, lustful pleasures, idolatry, sorcery, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissension, division, envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other sins like these. Let me tell you again, as I have before, that anyone living that sort of life will not inherit the Kingdom of God.”
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