Idol Whac-A-Mole

Note: On Tuesdays and some Sundays, you can find me at Your Daily Tripod, owned by my friend TonyD. A longer version of the post below appears there.

Oh, the idols in our lives.

It seems like every time we manage to tear one down, another pops up its little head. It’s like playing Whac-A-Mole, and the seeming futility can be really wearing.

This year, I ended my at-least-once-and-sometimes three-times-a-

day iced venti decaf skinny mocha habit (yes, in excess of fifteen dollars a day on the three timers; go ahead and judge). My new food idol is medjool dates and while they’re not as expensive, they are just as addictive and have a whole lot more calories.

I stopped watching most of my guilty-pleasure TV shows (read: true-crime and “documentaries” like Hoarding: Buried Alive) and have replaced those time-suckers with a silly little game called “Farm Heroes Saga” on my phone.

Now, I don’t suppose any of these things is bad in and of itself, and I’m pretty sure the Lord wouldn’t object to me having the occasional iced coffee, medjool date or hour in front of the TV or on my phone. But when they become obsessions or compulsions, they become false gods. They rob us of time with Him and with our communities. They take up space in our budget and body and brain that would better be used elsewhere.

In Hosea 8, the Lord warns the Israelites that “when they sow the wind, they shall reap the whirlwind.” It’s a good reminder that puffing ourselves up with our own wants and pleasures has consequences. May we receive the grace and courage to root out our idols before they destroy us and our relationship with Him.