An idol is created god-like image which is the object of worship. In Deuteronomy chapter 27 the people were warned of creating and worshipping idols:
14 “And the Levites shall speak with a loud voice and say to all the men of Israel:
15 ‘Cursed is the one who makes a carved or molded image, an abomination to the LORD, the work of the hands of the craftsman, and sets it up in secret.’
“And all the people shall answer and say, ‘Amen!’
As we mature in Christ we see how futile it is for men to worship people, images, cars, money, statues, and any other created things. Only FATHER is worthy of our worship. Anything associated with man’s creation is only temporary and has no sustaining power to promote life.
In the U.S., marketing and advertising executives attempt to convince people to worship professional athletes, movie stars, and politicians. They create a façade in order to get people to respond in some manner generally to extract money or votes from them. They generate an illusion of grandeur to good to be true… and it is. As we mature in Christ, we are no longer caught up in these illusions. Heavenly priorities take up our focus, not man’s created idols.
Many Hollywood idols such as Elvis Presley and Marilyn Monroe have been idolized because they never reached old age. The died in their prime and that is the only memory left. Others who were unable to age gracefully were seen in their frailty and their appeal disappeared as their wrinkles came forth. It is ridiculous to worship an illusion.
Star athletes only last for a rather short time and then all they have left are memories. Why live in the past with them? That new car is only new for a day before it becomes subject to depreciation, then it becomes a high-priced mode of transportation. Jesus was not carried around sitting on a portable throne by four men. He was practical in His travels.
Worshipping money and those who have it is possibly the greatest issue today. Since mankind is in constant scarcity, money promises to produce fulfillment but never does. We are warned that the love of money, or greed, is the root of all evil. On the other hand, FATHER Loves a cheerful giver. That giver uses money as a means to be a blessing to others rather than consuming it all on himself. When the wealthiest man on earth dies, how much money will he leave? The answer is simple: all of it.
Ultimately you Love where you place your focus and time. If you purpose to worship FATHER, your Love is properly directed. Otherwise, you allow an idol to rise up and waste time, money, and other resources that could be directed to ministering life to mankind by you fulfilling your purpose.
Worshipping any man or woman will only produce disappointment. At some point that person will flounder and miss the mark which will shatter your illusion of who you thought they were. Idols can and do break. They will grow old and brittle and only their memory will remain. We must assess our actions and reactions to the “created” and repent of anything that has been exalted in our lives and taken our focus away from the CREATOR of Heaven and earth. Only FATHER is deserving of our worship for HE created, formed us, and gave us life. Can a man, statue, money, or a car do that?
Jesus made a very specific point about the misuse by man in Matthew chapter 21:
12 Then Jesus went into the temple of God and drove out all those who bought and sold in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who sold doves.
13 And He said to them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer,’ but you have made it a ‘den of thieves.’ ”
14 Then the blind and the lame came to Him in the temple, and He healed them.
Anytime man perverts what FATHER has established, there will come forth judgment to correct the perversity. Remove yourself from any idols or misuse of what FATHER intended.