who is your idol

My friends in Christ:

Each of us have our favorite TV shows. The list may be long...Oprah, Dancing with the Stars, anything CSI, Survivor, Heroes, Law and Order, and the like. However, one show I have never watch full length was American Idol. As far as I'm concerned American Idol represents a false meaning of what should be an idol. In fact, American Idol is just what it sounds to me, false placement of dedication and devotion.

I though it important to share with permission, an article from a brother in Christ, Bob Ess wrote on this issue during a time of reflection that challenged me and will challenge all of us concerning idols. Read on.

Who is your ‘American Idol’?

The most popular show on television today is ‘American Idol’. I’m sure you’re familiar with it. Singing auditions are held, some go to Hollywood, then there is the final 24, then the final 12 and all the while we vote for our favorite singer until there is just one left standing. The winner receives a recording contract and finds the doors of the music world swung wide open for them.

The winner from season four, Carrie Underwood, has won dozens of awards since winning in 2005, including three Grammys in 2007. Say what you will about the show, but it’s ability to skyrocket an unknown’s career is without question. It can take a shy, unknown 19 year old girl from Oklahoma and make her a star of the highest caliber in just months.

One aspect I find interesting about ‘American Idol’ is the lengths people will go just to get their face on television. You’ve seen them; the kid who roller skates in the audition room in a clown suit who can’t carry a tune in a bucket, the angry young lady, usually dressed in next to nothing, who is convinced she is the next Idol and then is shocked to learn that the judges don’t agree. And then the heartwarming stories of those who have had rough upbringings or are suffering under tough circumstances – these are the underdogs we pull for, although they likely have little chance as well.

But what I find most fascinating is that the word ‘Idol’ is right there in our face, and we likely don’t even give it a second thought. ‘American Idol’. Hmmm. Let’s look at that from a little bit different perspective.

I can think of dozens of American Idols, and none of them are singers. There’s the pursuit of money, a job with more power, the Mercedes, Lexus or Infiniti, the bigger home, the brighter jewelry, the sexier mate, pornography. Even church. Church? How can church be an idol?

Church can become an idol when we let what WE think is best or right for the church overtake our priority (and the commandment!) to be a Christ follower. Too often our concern is what the preacher is preaching on, the number of services, the time slot for the services, when Sunday School will be held, how we spend our finances, how the pastors spend their time among their flock. Are those things really and truly the end goal of following Christ?

Shouldn’t we, instead, use our time to find and feed the poor instead of complaining about who said what in Sunday School this morning? Shouldn’t we, instead, use our time to house the homeless instead of complaining about what the pastor did or did not wear in service this morning? And shouldn’t we, instead, do all that we can to discover God’s will for our lives, instead of bickering and fighting over those things that are of this world and are temporary? Five years from now, is it really going to matter what you thought about what should be the correct size of a church committee? Five years from now, and for eternity, it is truly going to matter if we helped ‘the least of these’.

Let us not idolize those things which are of this world. That does not honor God. Let’s honor God by making Him our number one priority.

Matthew 25:34-40 is a good read for us at this point. Thanks, Bob, for your thoughts and for helping remember the importance of honoring God our number one.

Grace and peace,

Jack