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The Dangers of Misplaced Worship

  • Amy Mullens
  • August 11, 2022
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Computer science teaches a very basic concept: garbage in, garbage out. What you put in is what you get back. The sad demise of the nation of Israel in the Old Testament reinforces this concept.

“They would not listen, but were stubborn, as their fathers had been, who did not believe in the LORD their God. They despised his statutes and his covenant that he made with their fathers and the warnings that he gave them. They went after false idols and became false…” (2 Kings 17:14-15a).

They gave their worship to false idols, and they themselves became “false.” That is not the word I expected to read. How could bowing down to a stone image make you false?

Human beings are designed to worship. That worship belongs to God, our Creator. When people misplace enthusiasm and love meant for God, they buy the lie that a possession, dream, career, or person is more important in life than God. It doesn’t matter how firmly we believe that lie, it doesn’t make it true. Like dominos falling, one lie leads to another and priorities stray far from what is true.

Israel lived amongst pagan people with priorities so twisted they sacrificed their children to idols. This is crazy through the lens of our era. However, what is it we sacrifice our children to when we show something in our life takes precedence over God? We may not bow to an image, but our comfort, bank account, sports team, or the need for control may be a lie for which we surrender all.

“Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, and the truth, and the life’” (John 14:6). Navigating the misplaced priorities of our culture in not easy, but Jesus is where we must go for a life of truth.

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Amy Mullens

Amy and her husband are church planters in England. Originally from Pennsylvania, she experienced in a deep way what it means to live as a pilgrim when she recently adjusted to ex-pat life and settled her children (16, 14, 11 and 5) into a new culture. She is addicted to seeing Jesus change people’s lives and loves nothing better than to walk with them through His Word whether that be in a small group, her writing or over coffee. Exploring the English countryside, getting lost in a book and catching up with an old friend are among her favorite things. You can find her at amymullens.com or on Instagram.

1 comment
  1. Lila says:
    August 11, 2022 at 10:03 am

    I see what your point is, and I absolutely agree. However, the evidence of this idea is based on an English translation. If you go to the original Hebrew (I like to use BibleHub.com’s interlinear tool), we see that it just says, “They followed idols and became idolators.” The word for idols does have a connotation of “emptiness” or “worthlessness.” So those who follow “empty” or “worthless” idols then become “empty” or “worthless” themselves.

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