Turning to God from Idols

Scripture – 1 Thessalonians 1:9 (NRSV)

For the people of those regions report about us what kind of welcome we had among you, and how you turned to God from idols, to serve a living and true God.

Devotion

The English word “idol” comes from the Greek word eidōlon. In classical Greek, an eidōlon was a ghost or a phantom, something insubstantial. Eidōlon could also be used for an image in a mirror or in someone’s mind, neither of which have physical substance. Greek-speaking Jews, when translating the Scriptures from Hebrew into Greek, chose the word eidōlon to identify a physical representation of one of the pagan gods. For example, a couple of years ago archeologists found in Southern Israel an ancient Canaanite temple in which were statues of the god Baal. Greek-speaking Jews would have called these statues eidōla, the plural of eidōlon. This word suggested that, however real the statues might be, they were representing something that was not actually real.

For Jews, worshiping idols was utterly forbidden by God. One of the Ten Commandments reads, “You shall not make for yourself an idol, whether in the form of anything that is in heaven above, or that is on the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I the LORD your God am a jealous God” (Exodus 20:4). Nevertheless, the people of God were often tempted to follow the ways of their neighbors, worshiping idols in addition to or even instead of the one true God. When they did, inevitably God was angry, and they suffered the consequences.

For the most part, the people in first-century Thessalonica worshiped pagan gods. There were some Jews in that city, but most of those who responded to the gospel preached by Paul and his colleagues had been pagans. When they accepted the good news of God‘s salvation in Christ, they intentionally rejected the gods they had once worshiped. As Paul and Co. put it in their letter, “For the people of those regions report about us what kind of welcome we had among you, and how you turned to God from idols, to serve a living and true God” (1 Thessalonians 1:9). This language is classically Jewish, the language used by Jews to describe what happened when Gentiles became followers of the one true God.

I have known a few people who, before they were Christians, worshiped other gods. They would relate in a very direct way to what we read in 1 Thessalonians. But most of the Christians I know didn’t worship supposed divine beings before coming to Christ. And they didn’t represent those divine beings with statues that might be called idols. Rather, they turned from belief in nothing supernatural to trusting the God who is revealed in Jesus Christ.

This fact makes me wonder how we should relate today to language about turning from idols to God. Throughout the centuries, many Christians have used the language of idolatry in reference to the things we love, value, serve, and even worship besides God. For example, in our time of history people can turn technology into an idol, believing that the salvation of the world will come through digital solutions. Others worship money, family, success, or intelligence. Some people can make an idol out of their racial or ethnic identity, as we learn so painfully from contemporary news stories. Still others can turn their political ideologies and partisan preferences into idolatry. Patriotism in extreme forms can also become a sort of worship. Anything that gives us ultimate meaning, anything that we seek most of all in life, anything to which we describe the greatest value, these can be our idols.

When I think about the possible idols in my life, I know one is security, especially financial security. When I was a boy, my father went through an extended period of unemployment. During this time he was also deeply depressed. For me, those were frightening and painful times. I swore that I would never get into such a predicament as my father had done. For me, financial security was almost a god. I didn’t need to be wealthy, but I did want to be safe from the threat of poverty. Thus, when I sensed God’s call in life to take financial risks, this has been scary to me. In my own way, I have had to turn from my idol to serve the living God.

Do you have “idols” in your life? What are the things that compete with God for your ultimate allegiance? When God calls you to something new, what are the things that hold you back? The good news of the gospel is not only that we have been forgiven for our past idolatries, but also that God through Christ has conquered the principalities and powers, that is to say, the idols that we are tempted to worship. This means that by God’s grace we have the power to say no to our “idols” and yes to the one true God. We too can be like the Thessalonians, not because we are so spiritually strong, but because God’s grace and strength are more than enough for us.

Find all Life for Leaders devotions here. Explore what the Bible has to say about work at the unique website of our partners, the High Calling archive, hosted by the Theology of Work Project. Reflection on today’s Life for Leaders theme can be found here: Get Rid of Your Idols

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