Idolatry, What's on Your Throne?



As a Christian woman I never envisioned myself practicing idolatry, a devotion to something other than God. I love Jesus and and I always felt like I worshiped the one and only true God. I didn't think I was putting anything before God. Was I ever wrong!

One year I went on two mission trips. The first trip lasted 10 days and I faithfully served. The second trip was about one week later. It was a 7 day trip in Texas and I decided to take my laptop and cell phone. I had emails I needed to respond to, conference calls I needed to participate in and projects to complete.

During the second mission trip, I worked on my laptop early in the morning and late at night. I participated in conference calls during the day. My goal was for all of the extra effort to pay off upon returning to work. NOT!

Things continued to get worse each day at work, not enough time during the day and I was using every spare moment at night and on the weekends to try and catch up.

Somewhere along the way, I returned to doing my morning Bible study and I could feel that my priorities were misplaced. At that moment I realized I had put something else before God, my work. The following verse really took on new meaning. Exodus 20:3 "You shall have no other gods before Me."


1 John 3:24 "Those who obey his commands live in Him and He in them. And this is how we know that He lives in us. We know it by the Spirit He gave us." To maintain our peace of mind, we need to depend on the Spirit which God has given us that dwells within us. I realized work had become the center of my life, my immoderate attachment, and everything else was suffering, my relationship with God, my relationship with my husband and my relationship with my children. I was always tired, and just not content. With my focus on succeeding at work, I was engaged in idolatry. It seemed there was always more tasks that needed to be completed at work. I knew things needed to change. I needed help.

I called out to God. I asked God to give me peace about my job. I asked for clarity of mind, to focus on the tasks as needed and for contentment of heart. I had to trust that God would show me the way. I continued my morning Bible study and things started to change.

I stopped bringing my laptop home, I stopped talking calls after hours and I realigned my priorities. My productivity at work improved and I am very clear in communicating to my manager and others that I no longer work from home. My relationship with my husband and children improved and my health improved because work, the root of my idolatry, is no longer the center of my life, God is. I get up in the morning and I spend time with God for a healthy mind, body and soul.

You can experience peace by having faith and trusting in God. Isaiah 26:3 "You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast because he trusts in you."

At times we try to take control of situations and instead of things improving they spiral out of control. We put other things before God without realizing it.

If we yield to His will and remember He is the one and only God, we can experience peace of mind each and every day. The peace that surpasses all other, God's perfect peace.

Return to Women Christian Journey From Idolatry.