Do not love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world. The world is passing away, and also its lusts; but the one who does the will of God lives forever.

                                                                                                                 1 John 2:15-17 

Idolatry is not limited to the worship of lifeless statues or participating in dead, religious motion. Idolatry can occur anytime that we begin putting a priority on and placing our devotion towards someone or something else other than God. It is even possible to make idols out of “good” things. Today’s passage illustrates how believers in Jesus Christ are to reject the things of the world for a richer, fuller, and more meaningful life in Christ.

When we begin to love the things of the world we prove ourselves to be idolaters. By loving the things of the world we also demonstrate that the love of God is not in us. There are many good things to enjoy about the world that God has created but John is referring to the “ways” of the world, the system by which fallen mankind lives according to his own rules, ignoring the very God who loves them and created them. Idolatry moves our hearts, minds, and passions towards things that, in the end, will destroy us. Enjoying God and the life that we have in Him brings fulfillment, joy, peace, and purpose, something idols are entirely incapable of doing.

But being a little more specific, Jesus identifies an idol common to our modern world: money. Consider His words: 

No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth. 

                                                                                                                 Matthew 6:24 

Jesus is not telling us that it is wrong to possess money. He is not saying that we should neglect the pursuit of our chosen career or calling. He is not speaking against success or bettering oneself through educational and occupational pursuits. What He does clearly say is that we cannot serve money and God at the same time. At some point, one will take priority over the other.

The word “serve” can be defined as “making oneself a slave to or submitting to someone or something.” It is the yielding of oneself towards another. Money is not the problem rather it is when we subject ourselves to the necessity of making money above all other pursuits that places in the trap of serving money. Paul speaks of the affection that some might have towards material wealth:

For the love of money is a root of all sorts of evil, and some by longing for it have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.

                                                                                                     1 Timothy 6:10 

It is the love of money that sets the trap for someone to wander away from the faith. And it is this wandering that brings with it many griefs and sorrows. God is our provision. But that does not mean that we do not actively pursue the work that He has called each of us to participate in and enjoy. Money in itself is not bad. It is when we make money and the pursuit of wealth an idol that we begin to suffer spiritually.

Finally, even the relationships in our lives can become idols. Listen to these words of Christ: 

If anyone comes to Me, and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be My disciple.  

                                                                                                                     Luke 14:26 

Is Jesus instructing us to hate our own families? Of course not! We err when we select a passage of scripture, taking it out of context, without the slightest consideration for how it harmonizes with the rest of God’s Word. Jesus is making a comparison of loyalty.

Clearly, the Bible instructs us to love our spouses, our children, fellow believers, our neighbor, and yes, even our enemies. But when we place a priority on those relationships above our loyalty to Christ, we have made those associations idols. God is the creator of families. It was His idea that we live in relationship with one another. He is the head of the church, another place in which we live in fellowship with others. But Jesus is reminding us that even the things that He has established and declared “good” can become idols if those things begin to take precedence over our love and devotion to Him. 

To sum up the first two commandments, we can say that there is only One God and that we should make Him first priority in our lives, being careful not to position anyone or anything above Him. This is the essence of the Christian life…loving God, resting in Christ’s provision for salvation, and enjoying favor and blessing through the presence of God’s Spirit in our lives.