In ancient days, men and women showed their devotion to their gods by holding sacrifices in their honor. Those gods were often symbolized by idols, either in the form of the god or in a shape the god would find pleasing. With the coming of Jesus Christ, mankind was taught that idol worship is wrong, and that there is only one true God.
As Latter-day Saints, we don’t erect statues of gold or bronze to honor our gods – we recognize that our God wants a different kind of sacrifice, that of a broken heart and a contrite spirit. But yet we still persist in worshipping our own idols.
What are those?
Think for a moment about your own habit patterns. Anything you turn to for comfort in times of stress is an idol to you. When you’re upset, do you reach for potato chips? Potato chips are your idol. Do you drown yourself in music, movies, books? They are your idols. Anything that gives us false comfort, while we ignore the true source of all comfort, is an idol.
Right now I’m working on giving up my idol of food and turning instead to the Lord for all my comfort. The peace and the encouragement that He has given me through this process is amazing, and I’ve learned that not only have I made food an idol, but I have leaned far too much on my own understanding. My “smartness,” so to speak, has become an idol for me.
Another way to determine the things you idolize would be to think about your priorities. How important is social status, looking good, driving a nice car, having a prestigious job to you? Are your ambitions edging out pursuits such as church callings, family time, scripture study? If so, those are things you idolize.
Much of this idol worship is done on a subconscious level. I don’t think any one of us would purposely choose to worship idols, and yet we do it, unknowing.
I encourage all of us to look at ourselves a little more closely and examine our own idols, then reprioritize our lives so that we are giving God the credit He deserves in our lives.
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The Healing Power of Forgiveness