No Other Gods

By Greg Laurie, Op-ed contributor Tuesday, March 11, 2008

"Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry." —1 Corinthians 10:14

When God gave the Ten Commandments, He began by saying that we should have no other gods before Him.

Idols can be a lot of things. Essentially, an idol could be defined as anyone or anything that takes the place of God in our lives. An idol is any object, idea, philosophy, habit, occupation, sport, or thing that has one's primary concern and loyalty, or decreases one's trust and loyalty to God by any amount.

Alan Redpath defined idolatry this way: "Our god is the person we think is the most precious, for whom we would make the greatest sacrifice, who moves our hearts with the warmest love. He or it is the person who, if we lost him, would leave us desolate."

This definition really opens up the possibilities, doesn't it? A lot of things could qualify as idols in our lives. It is a true but terrifying fact that a person can attend church every Sunday and still practice idolatry.

Is there one thing in your life that, if God asked you for it, you would say, "Absolutely not"? Is there one thing that, if the Lord required it of you, you would say, "Anything but this"? If so, then that thing, that pursuit, or that passion may be an idol in your life.

Is there an idol in your heart today? Is there someone or something more precious to you than God Himself? Any person or pursuit that takes the place of God in your life will not satisfy. Let Him be your Lord. Let Him be your God. He will satisfy you.

Used with Permission