The March Idol

I’m talking about March Madness, Matness, Baseball, or anything else that has completely captivated your attention this month. If you are an American, you more than likely know about these iconic episodes of sporting competition, especially if you are one of the masses who makes your bracket with the clear intent of going for “perfection”, and hopefully cashing out with some extreme amount of money.

Unpopular opinion time.

Despite my roles on several teams, including being the manager of a now STATE CHAMPION girls basketball team (congrats ladies), I can only sit back and cringe sometimes. I sit in classes or at lunch and hear nothing but fanatical craze over who has the best bracket at the moment, or about who has the broader more intense knowledge of college basketball. And nothing is wrong with being able to know things about all this stuff. God gave it to us for a reason. The important thing to remember is that we must take it in moderation.

The ancient Israelites got caught up in a lot of the same stuff. Of course, back then it wasn't “Rabbi Rallies” and brackets full of the best shepherds around. But they did fall time and time again into the hands of the idols.

**Definition //Idol//:

anything that takes our center

of worship and desire away from God**

And whether we acknowledge it or not, we are surrounded by idols on all sides. They have just shifted forms from small shiny statues and temples to paper money, perfect brackets, women in next to no clothing, and straight A report cards. These things latch onto our hearts and whisper their lies to us. They convince us to trust them, to wipe aside priorities so that they may gain the throne of your heart.

What happens is this: we find new passions. We chase them. We give our best for them. And slowly they peel and cut their way to our prime focus. And while you may have multiple focuses, it is clear that only one god can have control of your heart. And the One and Only God is not interested in sharing it. He wants all of us as He gave all of Himself to win us back from the power of sin and death. And I sit back and think about how I can make time and focus on the things of the idols and still claim that I don’t have enough time to read the Bible or pray for myself and those in need all around me. My challenge is to put aside these things, even for just 30 minutes.

I know that none of us are perfect. I know that I have my own idol struggles. But my caution is that of the end of 1 John 5 “Dear children, keep away from anything that might take God’s place in your hearts.” Just some thoughts for the season.

Now to Him who gave it all for us, so that we may live in this beautiful struggle to know Him and grow deeper with Him for the rest of this life, to Him be all the glory.