The False Images We Worship
Scripture:
Exodus 20:3–5 – “You shall have no other gods before Me. You shall not make for yourself a carved image—any likeness of anything in heaven above, or on the earth beneath, or in the waters under the earth. You shall not bow down to them or serve them.”
Devotional Thought:
Idolatry isn’t ancient history — it’s modern reality.
The Israelites bowed before carved statues of gold and stone.
We bow before glowing screens of glass and steel.
The tools may have changed, but the temptation is the same:
to worship created things instead of the Creator.
Today’s “graven images” aren’t just physical statues — they’re digital ones.
We scroll past them, double-tap them, and sometimes even shape our identity around them.
Influencers, brands, money, status, appearance, politics, and pleasure — each one whispers,
“Serve me, and I’ll give you purpose. Follow me, and you’ll be fulfilled.”
Psalm 115:8 says, “Those who make them become like them.”
The more we worship false images, the more we start to reflect them — hollow, lifeless, and numb.
We lose sight of God’s glory because our eyes are glued to lesser glories.
Our devices can be incredible tools — but they can also become portable altars.
They travel with us everywhere, constantly demanding attention, affection, and devotion.
And what we give our devotion to, we eventually become like.
The truth is sobering: if we continually worship the images of this world, we’ll eventually mirror them — distracted, divided, and spiritually dead.
But the gospel offers freedom.
Jesus didn’t just save us from sin — He saved us from idolatry.
He invites us to tear down the false images and return to bearing His image.
You don’t have to be enslaved by counterfeit gods.
You were made to carry the likeness of the living God, not the lifeless pixels of this world.
Reflection Questions:
- What “images” have become idols in my life — things or habits that receive my time, attention, or worship?
- How have I allowed my devices or desires to shape my identity more than God has?
- What specific steps can I take today to remove a “false image” that’s keeping me from reflecting Christ?
Prayer:
Lord, I confess that I’ve often given my heart to lesser things.
Forgive me for worshiping images that can’t speak, see, or save.
Tear down every idol in my life — every distraction, every desire, every false god.
Restore my devotion to You alone.
Let my heart and habits reflect Your glory, not the world’s imitation of it. Amen.
Daily Practice:
Take inventory of your daily screen time or favorite apps.
Ask: Which ones are tools, and which ones have become temples?
Fast for 24 hours from one “idol” — an app, show, or game that takes too much of your focus — and replace that time with worship, prayer, or Scripture reading.