Idols

I think it is fair to say that here in America, we tend to worship a lot of idols. The Bible talks about carved images and statues, but  in 2014, we've gotten a lot fancier. There are smart phones and iPads, celebrities, pro athletes, social media, and, well, money. The word worship can have a creepy connotation if you think about it in regards to the idols I just listed. It might make you feel weird to think about building an altar to an iPhone or throwing yourself at the feet of a famous person. That's kind of what comes to my mind when I think of worship, and of course you haven't done that. Neither have I. But I will admit that I have been struggling with idols lately.

What does that even mean? Well, to me, an idol is anything that gets more of my time and attention than it deserves, anything that takes the place of time I should be spending in prayer or thanksgiving, anything that distracts me from doing what I should be doing, what God has planned for me. If we go by that definition, well, my smart phone and my tablet are idols on a regular basis because I can't seem to put them down. I had the intention of giving up Facebook for Lent but I couldn't handle that, so I tried to at least ditch the app on my phone...but I've been cheating. A lot. A lot of my precious time has also gone toward shopping on Amazon for stuff I probably don't need that won't make me happy. But it's so fun for a package to come in the mail for me.

I'm not typically a person that cares about celebrities on any level, but after watching Catching Fire, I spent way too much time this week watching hilarious videos of Jennifer Lawrence on YouTube and I reread the whole Hunger Games trilogy (again) when I probably should have been cleaning the bathroom or doing some grocery shopping.

It is so easy to get caught up in things that don't really matter. It is so easy for media to saturate our lives and honestly, staring at a smart phone instead of engaging with the world has become so socially acceptable that it's common to see hordes of people staring at tiny screens in public. I have fallen victim to this in so many ways. Sometimes, it feels harmless. Other times, I reflect on my day and realize I didn't really spend any time with Lydia, or that I neglected to pray the entire day.

The reason I'm writing about this is because I've been struggling with it this week, and I need to talk about it. I don't want to worship a false god. I don't want to spend hours of my life watching YouTube videos of celebrities. I don't want to get sucked into my damn phone. I don't want all of these distractions hindering my relationship with God. Because sometimes, it does. There were a few months where I didn't read the Bible at all, because I was distracted. There have been many nights where I decide I should probably pray before I go to bed, then get distracted thinking about something else and fall asleep.

I don't think God deserves my leftovers, my half-hearted prayers at the end of the day, my utter neglect of His Word. I mean, the first commandment flat out tells me not to have any other gods before Him. I think he deserves my best, I really do. But I struggle. I get sucked into this worldly world, this society and its love of things with screens, this cyclical boredom brought on by everyday tasks, and I turn elsewhere for satisfaction. I really should be turning to God first. I should confess my struggles and ask for help. I should talk to him every day, study his Word, and apply it to my life. It's hard, for sure. It takes focus and determination. But through Him, I can do it. And I want to.

So help me, Lord, to put down the screens that distract me from what really matters, becoming the person you created me to be. Help me to stop Googling and YouTube-ing and BuzzFeed-ing random crap. Help me to stop incessantly checking Facebook, looking for something interesting or new. Help me to turn to you in my struggles, in my triumphs, in my everyday mundane moments. Only You can fill me.