When I think of idols, a few things come to mind. I’m reminded of the golden calf that was worshiped in the Old Testament. Celebrities come to mind, especially Kim Kardashian, as she is the most commonly mentioned celebrity during plastic surgery consultations. People want to manipulate their bodies to look like her. I think of the tv show, American Idol, as many devote their weeknights to watching it, voting and buying music produced from it. I also think of college football (as I wrote about here) and the amount of money and attention spent on football.
Webster’s dictionary has 5 definitions of idol. The one that resonates with me the most is “an object of extreme devotion”.
Sadly, I’m here to announce that I carry an idol in my pocket every day. My iPhone.
I am extremely devoted to it. If it gets left at home, it is a source of frustration and feeling of nakedness.
It causes great distraction for me. If someone is talking to me and I can’t hear them because I’m on the idol, then it’s hurtful to them. I’m saying/showing through my actions that the distant person, thing, pictures, or whatever on the idol are more important than who is in my presence.
My devotion to my idol causes me to waste precious time that could be spent on solitude, time with friends, or time with God. I get so caught up on it that I miss opportunities to help others.
My idol keeps me up later at night than it should. It prevents me from getting more sleep and distracts my mind when I should be winding down.
It’s the first thing I think of many mornings. I’ve made it a habit to reach for the idol, check email, texts and social media- all before even telling my husband good morning.
It distracts me when I’m driving which is unsafe for me, my passengers, and everyone else around me.
My idol weighs too much on my self worth. Someone hasn’t texted me back- that must mean that they do not like me or I’m not important to them. This photo only got 28 likes, it must not be cute enough.
My idol steals joy through comparison. I’m at home in sweats with a sick kid while my friend is in Bermuda snorkeling with dolphins.
My idol is a liar. It tells me I’ll be more connected but it causes me to be more disconnected. Even though it’s fast, it causes me to be more impatient when real life speed isn’t. It wants to make me happy but it causes those around me to be less happy.
Do you have this idol in your pocket too?
brooke
