In our last post in this series, we learned that God exposes our idols so that we might return to full and fulfilling worship of the living God. This gives us some insight with regards to how to rid ourselves of idols. It should be noted, that idols are often good things that become ultimate things. For instance, I love and cherish my wife. But if I am not careful, I can worship her. I will become slavishly dependent on her, I might abdicate my role as a spiritual leader to appease her, or when she passes on I will become suicidal. The solution is not to love her less, so much as to love God more. The ultimate cure for idolatry is to turn from our idols and serve the living God. The higher, grander, and greater our vision of God, the more weak, impotent, and powerless we will perceive our idols.

When Paul and Barnabas were worshipped by the men of Malta they tore their clothes and said:

Acts 14:15: "Men, why are you doing these things? We are also men of the same nature as you, and preach the gospel to you in order that you should turn from these vain things to a living God, who made the heaven and the earth and the sea, and all that is in them."

Note how Paul lifts high the greatness and grandeur of our God. When we allow the fullness of God to fill our minds, this vision of God crowds our idols off of our mental pedestal. So how do we cultivate such a high view of God? Well, to know Him is to love Him. Studying the Bible and theology will fill our minds with such Scriptural truth that we will sense and dispense with all counterfeit. A high view of God will lead to a greater love of God which will in turn place all rivals, and even all good things, in the proper perspective.

Dave Hintz