The Small Rectangular Idol

Bible Reading: Exodus 20:1–6

Grace plopped down on the couch with her phone. I’ll put this away when I hear Mom come, she thought. She’s always getting after me about spending too much time on my phone.

When Grace heard her mother’s steps on the porch, she put the phone in her pocket and grabbed a schoolbook.

“Hi, Grace,” Mom said when she came into the living room. “Have you finished your homework?”

Grace shook her head. “Not yet, Mom, but I’ll do it now.”

“There’s no time now,” Mom said. “We have church tonight, remember?”

“I can’t go,” Grace said. “I have too much homework.” She felt the phone in her pocket buzz and stopped herself from pulling it out in front of her mom.

“You can do your homework when we get home,” said Mom.

Although Grace hadn’t wanted to go to church, she found the missionary speaker very interesting. “How can the people in that country worship things made of wood and stone?” she asked her mom on the way home.

“What do you think about people in our country worshiping a small rectangle made of metal and glass?” asked Mom.

“That’s weird!” Grace said. “Who does that?”

“Well, I’ve done it before,” Mom said.

“What!” Grace couldn’t believe it. “You’ve worshiped an idol?”

Mom nodded and held up her phone. “Maybe you have too. Sometimes I run to my phone to find worth, comfort, or answers when I should run to Jesus for those things. Or I spend lots of time texting other people or reading what they’ve posted without spending any time talking to Jesus or reading what He says in His Word. Sound familiar?”

Grace sighed. “Yeah, I guess.”

“We often think of idol worshipers as people of other religions who worship wooden or stone objects,” said Mom, “but we do the same thing when we put any object in our lives before God. Phones are great tools, but when we let them take our attention away from Jesus, we need to confess our idolatry and put our focus back on Him.”

Grace got out her phone and handed it to her mom. “Can you hold this for me for a while?” she asked. “I think I need to spend some time with Jesus without it.” •Holly F. Cepeda

How About You?

Do you worship an idol? You might not bow down in front of it, but is there something more important to you than God? It’s okay to have fun and use things that make life more convenient, but don’t let them distract you from your relationship with Jesus. He’s the one who loves you and is always there to help you, not phones, video games, sports, money, or anything else. Worship Him alone.

Today’s Key Verse: Hosea 13:4 You shall know no God but Me. (NKJV)

Today’s Key Thought:

Don’t let anything become an idol