Lay Down Your Idols
When we hear the word idolatry, our minds might immediately picture shrines or carved statues. But what is idolatry, really? It is, literally or figuratively, image worship—the worship of false gods [1][2]. Whenever we give our worship to what has been created rather than to the Creator Himself (Romans 1:25), we commit idolatry. And since God made all things, the list of what we can idolize is endless.
Is there anything in your life right now that you place before God (Exodus 20:3)? Or maybe the better question is this: Is there anything you find yourself trusting in or relying on more than God?
I know—that’s a lot to consider. But I hope you’ll pause and be honest with yourself. These questions aren’t meant to guilt you; they’re meant to help you, as they help me, uncover anything that may be warring for God’s rightful place in your heart—whether intentionally or unintentionally. That, my friend, is idolatry. And we cannot serve two masters.
A City Full of Idols
Let’s look at Acts 17:16–34. Here, Paul finds himself in Athens after preaching in Thessalonica and Berea, where opposition had forced him to leave. While waiting for Silas and Timothy,
“…his spirit was provoked within him as he saw that the city was full of idols.” (Acts 17:16)
Athens was overflowing with idols—and with people who prided themselves on their wisdom. They constantly sought new ideas and teachings rather than the truth. Sound familiar?
Seeing their misplaced worship, Paul presents them with two fundamental truths about God—and two fitting responses.
Truth #1: God Made the World and Everything in It
He is the Creator and Sustainer of all things. He does not live in temples built by human hands, nor does He need anything from us. We, on the other hand, need everything from Him (Acts 17:24–25).
Response #1: Therefore, seek God and find Him—for He is not far from you (Acts 17:26–27).
Truth #2: God Is Not Like Gold, Silver, or Stone
God is not like anything made—especially by human imagination (Acts 17:29). We cannot refine or redefine who He is; to do so is ignorance.
Response #2: Therefore, repent and believe in Jesus (Acts 17:30–31).
Maybe you’re reading this and struggling to believe. You might think there’s a “higher power,” or that there are many gods, and you just need to find the one that fits you best. But friend, there is only one God. He made the world and everything in it—including you.
He placed you exactly where you are—your family, your city, your time, your circumstances—so that you would seek Him with all your heart and find Him (Jeremiah 29:13).
In fact, God drew near to us in the most personal way possible: He took on flesh in the person of Jesus Christ (John 1:1–2, 14). The Creator entered His creation. He lived a perfect, sinless life yet died a horrible death on the cross—for your sins and mine (idolatry included). But it didn’t end there—He rose from the grave, defeating sin, death, and Satan forever.
Philippians 2:5–11 says it beautifully:
“Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”
If you already believe this, then let me ask you a few more questions about idols in your life:
Are you putting them to death (Colossians 3:5)?
Do you recognize where they may be warring against the Spirit of God within you (Galatians 5:20)?
Are you fleeing from them (1 Corinthians 10:14)?
Do you believe how utterly worthless they are compared to our great God (Psalm 96:4–5)?
He is the fountain of living waters, while idols are nothing more than broken cisterns that can hold no water (Jeremiah 2:11–13).
At the heart of idolatry is a worship issue. Our view of God becomes distorted.
Any “god” we can shape in our image is not the God who made us in His.
Any “god” that lets us decide what is right and wrong is not the God who is righteous.
Any “god” that allows us to indulge in desires that lead to destruction is not the God who truly satisfies the longing of our souls.
So, friend, repent and turn your whole heart to the one true, living God. Lay down whatever He reveals is trying to take His place. And remember: there is no one—and nothing—that even comes close to Him.
[1] https://biblehub.com/greek/1495.htm
[2] https://biblehub.com/greek/1497.htm
