Identifying Idols

AW Tozer once said, “What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us.” The reason for this is because we will inevitably worship and idolize whatever it is we deem most important. When many of us hear about idolatry we tend to think of an ancient group of uneducated people bowing down to some sort of statue. Even though we are more educated than previous generations we are still bowing down to idols. This is especially true in a teenager’s life.

Teens long for significance and identity. In their search to fulfill these desires many of them are driven to find their identity wrapped up in a person or thing. Tim Keller says that idolatry is often taking a good thing and turning it into an ultimate thing. Students do this very thing. They tend to take a good thing, like academic achievement, and make it an ultimate thing. When this happens their sense of identity is wrapped up in their performance in the classroom. This will result in failure becoming devastating, rather than seeing it as an opportunity to learn.

Many have bought into the lie that their significance, purpose, and identity are found in the things of this world rather than God. They believe that this world will bring them more happiness than God. This is also true even for adults. Jobs, approving relationships, academics, material possessions, and family are all good things. Yet, when they become ultimate things in our lives they destroy us. CS Lewis once said “Idols always break the hearts of their worshippers.”

God is the one who is supposed to be ultimate in our lives. As parents we must show our children that all of our identity is found in what God has done for us through Jesus Christ. One thing I constantly tell myself is that all of my significance, approval and worth is found in what Christ has accomplished for me on the cross, not in the approval of man (Gal. 1:10). As parents we must repent openly to our children of our idols, and constantly help point them to the truth found in Jesus. As Augustine once said, “"Thou madest us for Thyself, and our heart is restless, until it rest in Thee.” May we find rest in Christ, so we can guide our children.