The Idol Right Under Your Nose

“Keep alert, stand firm in your faith, be courageous, be strong. Let all that you do be done in love.” (1 Corinthians 16:13)

Listen to the qualities the Apostle Paul challenges the faithful to retain: “stand firm,” “courageous,” “strong,” yet in “love.” Two thousand years ago, the faithful struggled with cultural pressure to accommodate other gods, which Paul called idolatry. Standing firm amidst prejudice and outright hostility required courage and strength.

Now, come to think of it, perhaps our world and that of the Corinthians weren’t too dissimilar. While we aren’t worried that our church pizza night will include food sacrificed to the local god, our faith is challenged in other ways.

The demands of our work life regularly sacrifice our free time. Many of us are working an overwhelming number of hours each week. I recently read that we work fifteen percent more hours now than in the 1960’s. Add to that email and social media that we are connected and disrupted 24/7. Now, including family and other responsibilities, our lives quickly become overwhelmed. Too many demands have stern implications for our faith.

Our God has high expectations, our employer is demanding, and our loved ones have the right to expect our time. Often, we feel like someone tied our arms and legs to four separate horses, and someone yells, “Giddy up!” It feels like we are going in so many directions that we will be pulled apart. Anything that takes away from our faith life becomes an idol.

I am not writing this to make you feel even more pulled. Guilt helps point out an issue but is destructive over the long term. Genuine, challenging matters do not have a quick, easy answer. This devotional does not offer one, either. The act of bringing your concern to God in prayer shows your faith.

Today, throw your life before the footstool of God and ask God to take your life and transform it. Spend the next week reevaluating your financial situation and what it would take to slow down. Would it mean moving to a smaller home? If you have a spouse, what are their concerns on this issue? Is your employer flexible? Addressing these things in prayer and concrete ways is the first step to reclaiming your life so you have something to offer God. In the meantime, listen to the guilt, recognizing that change is necessary, but do not let guilt overwhelm you. God may be calling you to change, and overwhelming guilt impedes action. Remember, God may be demanding, but God is even more loving. It is time to acknowledge the issue.