The Idol of Self
This is a growing and one of the most seductive idols there is. It is the idol of self. You need nothing and no one. You are not only enough but also the best. Most important. You are a “god.” Sound familiar? This is what we will be discussing today. Let us pray.
Father, we come before You today with thanksgiving and praise. We are grateful for everything you have done for us. From granting us life to the promise of eternal life and all that lies in between. We praise You for Your Word and for Your grace, which allow us to be adopted into Your Kingdom and family.
Today, we see a growing trend that mirrors an old one: Pride. The desire to be self-sufficient, to need no one, especially you, and to seek fame and followers. Please, Father, help us to have eyes that see and ears that hear Your truth and revelations regarding the challenges we face in today’s society. In Jesus' name, Amen!
“How you have fallen from heaven,
O Day Star, son of Dawn!
How you are cut down to the ground,
You who laid the nations low!
You said in your heart,
‘I will ascend to heaven;
above the stars of God
I will set my throne on high;
I will sit on the mount of the assembly
in the far reaches of the north;
I will ascend above the heights of the clouds;
I will make myself the Most High.’
But you are brought down to Sheol,
to the far reaches of the pit.
Those who see you will stare at you
and ponder over you:
‘Is this the man who made the earth tremble,
who shook kingdoms,
who made the world like a desert
and overthrew its cities,
who did not let his prisoners go home?’ Isaiah 14:12-17
“You said in your heart, ‘I will ascend to heaven; above the stars of God I will set my throne on high; will sit on the mount of assembly in the far reaches of the north; will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.’” Lucifer, as he was known then, wanted to be the most important. He wanted people to bow down in front of him. Worship him. Look what he said to Jesus.
“Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. And he said to him, “All these I will give you if you will fall down and worship me.” Matthew 4:8-9
This is what he tempted Adam and Eve with.
“But the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. For God knows that when you eat of it, your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” Genesis 3:4-5
Look at what society tells our kids. “There is no god.” “You only live once.” “You are special, and you are in control of your future.” “Look out for number one.” “If you put yourself out there, social media and such, you could be the next big thing.” “The next influencer with thousands of followers.” Sound familiar?
Look at social media for a second. There are those on social media who make $30,000.00 a day for a 10-minute video. Some make so much money and have so many followers that they make videos where they give money away. Is there anything wrong with them giving money away to those who need it? No. Not really. But why are they? Think about it. Look at what Jesus said here.
“Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven. Thus, when you give to the needy, sound no trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be praised by others.
Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.” Matthew 6:1-4
Social media has become a source of child abuse. We actually have parents out there that are letting their underage daughters, some very underage daughters, dance in bathing suits, underwear, and in some cases, nothing, showing little bits of themselves for the pedophiles out there to watch.
Why? The more views, the more followers, and the more they can make money. We used to call nude or semi-nude pictures and videos of little girls child porn. It used to be a crime. That no longer seems to be the case. Some of those happy little faces doing their dance are doing so because they are being forced to. There have been reports that in other countries, there are compounds full of young girls who are forced to make videos.
Even if we do not go to the extreme, just think about things like FB. Yeah, I know. Social Media is a tool. It can be used for good or other things. You can get information, or you can get porn. You can stay connected to family and friends, or you can try to become an online “god.” Be careful, my friends. If social media becomes more important to you than praying, reading the Word of God, or actually doing things, you may want to take a closer look at what you are doing and your motives for doing it.
Remember, you are a child of God and a follower of Jesus. Jesus, who is also God, was baptized by John the Baptist and washed His disciples' feet, teaching them that He came to serve us. Ultimately, He also went to the cross for our sake.
Think about this also. Even back in the day, people were worried about followers and being great. When Jesus was asked, "Who will be the greatest in Heaven?" He answered this way.
“And calling to him a child, he put him in the midst of them and said, 'Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me, but whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a great millstone fastened around his neck and to be drowned in the depth of the sea.” Matthew 18:2-6
Jesus also told us this.
"For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” Mark 10:45
And here?
“You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and rightly so, for that is what I am. Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. I have set you an example that you should follow as I have done for you. Very truly I tell you, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them." John 13:13-16
It is not about you. It never was. It never will be. It is about serving others. It is in the very service to others that God can equip you and bless you. It is not about you. You cannot say you serve God if you are not serving others. Look here.
"But Jesus called them to him and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. It shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be your slave, even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” Matthew 20:25-28
Again, Jesus is using Himself, God, as an example. One of the things we, as children of God, should be doing is imitating Jesus. Jesus even told us that we would do even more than He did. Look at John 14:12–14
"Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do because I am going to the Father. Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it."
What did Jesus do? Teach, preach, and show the way. He came to serve us. He came to serve us to the point of His own torture, abuse, and death. What have you done for your fellow man lately? We have not reached the point of torture and death in this country. Yet. People are being tortured and killed because of the name of Jesus all over the world. Yet they keep spreading the Word. Are you? Or are you worried about losing “followers” if you post something like the real meaning of the Rainbow? Are you worried about offending someone with the truth?
Consider this: if you are prioritizing your fears and concerns over your faith, are you not placing yourself before God? Take a moment to think about it. If you fear losing followers, friends, or even family because you believe in God, aren’t you choosing your own comfort and relationships over your devotion to Him? Jesus expressed this idea in His teachings.
“Then Jesus told his disciples, 'If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul?
For the Son of Man is going to come with his angels in the glory of his Father, and then he will repay each person according to what he has done. Truly, I say to you, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom.” Matthew 16:24-28
Again, folks, it is ok to be on social media. It is a tool and can be a great way to stay in touch with family and friends. It can be a good way to spread the Gospel. However, be very careful that it does not become an avenue to sin. Either by viewing things you should not, or attempting to use it as a tool to commit the original sin. Pride and self-promotion. Remember another warning from Jesus. He said this.
“Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.” Matthew 23:12
Put the “Idol of Self” away from you and do not seek it out again. Accept Jesus, and raise your kids on His Word. Teach them it is not ok. It is not fun. It is not something to try to achieve. It is based on the original sin and is dangerous to the point of death. Jesus should be the only one you know who has millions of followers. Besides, if you do have followers, where are you leading them? Hopefully to Jesus.
Remember, you can always check out the vast archive here at TAG
The email, if you wish to contact me, is truthbygod1@gmail.com
May the comfort of the Holy Spirit and the peace of our Lord Jesus be with you all. May God bless and be with you always.
Until next time, be blessed, be a blessing, and Jesus is Lord!
