“For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened…they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen.” (Romans 1:21; 25)
Beloved,
On April 22nd 1970, America celebrated the first National Earth Day. The day was set aside to remind
people to care for our environment. Although Earth Day has many benefits, if its supporters stop with only serving the Earth, it is idolatry. Idolatry is serving the creation rather than giving honor and glory to the Creator who is blessed forever. Idolatry is taking good things that the Lord has made and making them ultimate things. Idolatry stops with the creation rather than pressing onward to see creation as a gift from the Creator.
God gives the Creation Mandate in Genesis 1 where we are called to be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it and have dominion over it. Christians should care for the environment because we want to be good stewards of God’s creation, not because we want to serve the earth. Christians must never stop with the creation, but always look to the Creator who is blessed forever. If we enjoy and care for the earth, but do not acknowledge God or give thanks to him, we become futile in our thinking and our foolish hearts are darkened. Idolatry is loving anything more than God. It is valuing things as the ultimate source of happiness and joy.
The sin of idolatry is important to understand because it does not immediately manifest itself in overt, visible sin. For example, if we value our career too highly it may cause us to overwork and overworking may lead us to neglect our families and fracture our most important relationships. Valuing anything more than God will eventually lead to further chaos and destruction. Tim Keller says, “Sin is not just doing bad things. It is turning good things into ultimate things because it ruins your soul, destroys community, and dishonors God.”
Is there anything or anyone that you value more than God? Wealth? Family? Work? Friends? Beloved, search your hearts and ask God to reveal to you your idols. The idols of the hearts are subtle yet very dangerous. Let us never turn God’s good gifts into ultimate things. There is only One who is worthy of all our worship.
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